


rushes

by moonpr1ncess



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:14:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonpr1ncess/pseuds/moonpr1ncess
Summary: It's still so new to her: having Sasuke around, having hisdaughteraround, and being there for the both of them. Despite herself, Naruto keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 138
Kudos: 234





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hate all things B*ruto and refuse to acknowledge its existence (#petty) but I remember thinking Sarada's design was cool and I really, really love the idea of Sasuke as a father. So she's kind of an OC and kind of...not.
> 
> I also liked the angst that comes with Sasuke leaving the village and Naruto staying behind, but both of them still struggling to completely move on from one another. I guess this story is my way of trying to combine all of those things and make something interesting/funny/angsty out of it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy —

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _He don't care for me  
>  But he cares for me  
> And that's good enough _
> 
> \- Frank Ocean, "Nikes"

Naruto is snoozing at her desk, face-down and snoring lightly, when there’s a crisp knock on the door.

She wakes up with a start, blinking blearily at the door. It’s dark outside, and the clock reads 11pm. She still has fifty pages of paperwork left to go through. 

“Shit,” she mutters. 

There’s another knock, far more impatient this time, and Naruto lets out a sigh. From the quiet, steady thrum of his chakra, she can sense it’s Shikamaru. 

“Come in,” she calls, hoping her voice doesn’t betray the fact how tired she sounds.

It doesn’t work. As soon as he’s taken a few steps inside, her advisor fixes her with an unimpressed stare. “You were sleeping.”

Naruto smiles, ducking her head as she begins to shuffle some papers around nonsensically. “Was it that obvious?”

“There’s drool on your face,” Shikamaru points out, walking over to her desk and smirking when she rubs at her cheek with an embarrassed groan. 

He’s carrying some more documents in his hands, and the sight makes Naruto want to jump out the window. Who knew that being the Hokage would involve so much damn _paperwork?_

It’s been four years since she was named Hokage, but she’s still unable to handle the gruelling amount of paperwork despite Kakashi-sensei's insistence that she would get used to it. It’s honestly never-ending. She’ll probably be eighty years old, in a retirement home and not even the Hokage anymore, but still filling in leftover paperwork from her reign. 

“These are for tomorrow,” Shikamaru explains, sitting down opposite her. He places the folder down on the desk, next to two other massive piles of paper, and runs his fingers across the bold lettering on the front page. “The latest trade deal with the Mizukage. It’s important ,so read it _carefully,_ Naruto, and fill in the relevant sections, don’t just sign—”

“I know, I know,” she mumbles, rubbing at her forehead. “Kakashi-sensei drilled it into me when I was taking over from him. And Granny, too, even though the old hag spent most of her time drinking instead of working.”

“Kakashi was no better,” Shikamaru mutters, leaning over to pour them glasses of water from a jug. He’d worked with the Sixth as a junior advisor for two years, towards the end of the man’s time as Hokage, and he's still slightly traumatised from the experience. 

Even now, the memory makes him wince. “He’d always find ways to hand his paperwork to me, and I couldn’t mouth off to him because he would get all scary.”

“So now I’m your punching bag now, huh? Since I won't fight back?” Naruto teases, taking an offered glass of water. “Poor little me.”

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling too. They settle down and sip at their drinks, enjoying each other's quiet company. There are years and years of friendship between them, and they balance each other out perfectly now that they work together: Naruto’s passion to Shikamaru’s coolness, his intelligence to her clumsiness, and their overall shared vision for a better world for shinobi and civilians alike.

“Seriously, if you’re tired, go home,” Shikamaru chides after a while. “The Hokage sleeping at her desk every night is not a good look.”

“Since when do you nag so much?” Naruto mutters, grabbing a pen and getting started on the trade deal documents. The letters swim before her eyes, and she realises the truth to his words: she's really, really tired. “You’re starting to sound like Temari.”

Instead of groaning as he always does whenever Naruto compares him to his wife, Shikamaru remains oddly quiet. It takes Naruto a moment to notice. She glances up from the second page of her paperwork with a raised eyebrow.

Shikamaru is frowning down at his glass of water, eyebrows knitted together and the corners of his mouth downturned. It’s an expression she’s only seen on his face a handful of times.

“You okay?” Naruto asks curiously. “You look constipated.”

This time, he does groan. He puts his glass of water down on the desk a little forcefully. “I’m fine. It’s just…” He looks up at Naruto and sighs. “Don’t freak out.”

Naruto frowns. “Why?” 

Shikamaru sighs again. “Temari’s cousin is in town, the one she was telling you about, and she booked you guys a table at that new sushi restaurant for Friday evening—"

Naruto flings her pen at him. “No fucking way!”

Shikamaru covers his face with his hands, looking like he hates every second of being involved in this situation. “I _told_ her you weren’t interested, but she won’t listen. She thinks you need to find someone and settle down.” He looks at her from between his fingers and adds, in a little mumble, “And she kinda has a point.”

Naruto grabs another pen from between the mountains of paperwork and tosses it at him angrily. She loves Temari like a sister and thinks she’s one of the top two most amazing people from Suna she’s ever met (second only to Gaara), but she cannot stand how the woman insists on meddling with her personal life. 

“She does _not_ have a point,” Naruto says hotly. “I do not need to settle down, and I am not meeting up with her cousin or your cousin or _anyone’s_ damn cousin.”

“Why not?” Shikamaru asks. 

“Because I’m the _Hokage?_ ” Naruto says, as though it’s obvious. “Duh! I’m busy.”

Shikamaru leans back in his seat and stares at her for a long, heavy moment, considering her carefully. “Alright,” he shrugs. 

“Alright,” Naruto repeats, still flushing from a combination of annoyance and shame. But he's still watching her, so she takes a gulp of her water and stares into the glass to avoid his heavy gaze.

When Shikamaru finally speaks, his tone is calm and measured. “So, if Sasuke walked in right now and asked you out on a date, what would you do?”

Naruto chokes on her water, spluttering all over the papers before Shikamaru hisses out a curse and snatches them out of her way.

“What?” she cries.

“I _said,_ if Uchiha Sasuke walked in right now and asked you out—"

“I heard you the first time,” Naruto interrupts with a snarl, patting at her wet blouse. 

“I’ll tell you what you’d do,” Shikamaru continues calmly. “You’d toss everything to the side and follow him anywhere, because you’ve been in love with the guy for years and years, and part of you still hopes he’ll come back and be with you.”

Naruto stares at him with wide eyes. “I do not—"

But Shikamaru just holds up a hand and keeps speaking. He’s never been one for many words, but now he looks genuinely frustrated. 

“Uchiha Sasuke is loyal to our village and he is someone we can always count on. Your friendship with him is almost entirely the reason why. But he chose to walk away ten years ago and have a life elsewhere. He’s moved on, Naruto. Kakashi has moved on. Haruno Sakura has moved on. _Everyone_ has moved on but you.”

The words sting, especially since they’re coming from Shikamaru, who hardly ever loses his temper with Naruto. He’s always so patient with her, accepting each and every one of her flaws and weaknesses with nothing more than a tired sigh. Now his eyes are devoid of their previous mirth and he looks genuinely angry, both at Naruto and on her behalf. 

But as much as it hurts, she deserves it. Because every word he just said was true. Every single one. 

“I know,” she admits, breaking the heavy silence between them. 

"So?" Shikamaru prods at once. "You're well aware of what you're doing to yourself, but you won't move on. You won't even try. Why not?" 

Naruto bites at her bottom lip. _It's not that simple,_ she wants to say. And it’s not as if she hasn't thought about it. It’s kept her awake at night many, many times, filling her with shame and anger and self-loathing. 

She picks at the skin around her fingernails, giving a half-hearted shrug. "I look at you and Temari and I see myself having something like that. I _want_ that. But…” she trails off, letting out a shaky sigh. 

_Fuck it,_ she thinks. This is Shikamaru. There’s no hiding behind anything with him. Not when he's already figured it all out.

“It’s like you said," she mutters. "I’ve loved him for so long now I just can’t imagine myself stopping. I see him a few times a year, and it’s only for an hour or two at best, but that’s more than enough to make me keep on hoping that he’ll…I don’t know.”

She rubs at her temples tiredly. It all sounds so foolish now that she’s spoken the words aloud, even though it’s all exactly how she feels. 

“I’ve been on dates and stuff,” she mumbles. “And it’s nice, but it never goes anywhere because I always compare them to Sasuke. And it’s not like anyone can compare to Uchiha Sasuke, you know.”

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, and the familiar gesture does more to break the stiffness in the air than any joke could. “You sound like a lovesick schoolgirl,” he says. “Like those banshees at the Academy who’d scream as soon as he walked into the classroom.”

Naruto scoffs. The good thing about her friendship with Shikamaru is that the man has seen her in all states of pathetic, but he never holds it against her. He just moves on. “You suck at comforting people.”

“And you need to get a grip,” Shikamaru says, lips twisting up into a wry smile. “What’s there to compare, anyway? His frowns and grunts? The scary look on his face?”

She scowls, reaching for her paperwork. Still, she can’t help but feel relieved now that the conversation has taken on a lighter tone. “Don’t make fun of him when he’s not here to defend himself.”

Shikamaru rises from his seat, looking deeply bored. “Yeah, yeah. I want that paperwork done by Monday. Go home and get some rest, Naruto. If I find you here in the morning—"

“I _know,”_ Naruto says. “Go home. Tell Temari I said hi. And that she needs to butt out of my love life.”

“Non-existent love life,” Shikamaru mutters, digging around in his pockets for a cigarette as he steps out and shuts the office door behind him.

As soon as he’s gone, Naruto sighs, leaning back in her chair wearily as the humiliation from her confession catches up to her. 

She can still remember the last time she saw Sasuke a few months ago. How he’d tied his dark hair back so she could see every detail of his face, illuminated by the moonlight pouring in through the open window they were standing in front of, side by side. She stared at his eyes, his nose, his lips, captivated by every perfect feature as he spoke and updated her in a quiet voice about his mission. 

It was cold, so she pressed closer to his side for warmth. He hadn’t protested or pulled away. Their hands had brushed, the touch of his skin on hers sending shivers down her spine. She’d looked down at where their hands were touching before realising he’d fallen silent. When she looked up, Sasuke was staring at her.

They looked at each other for a long, quiet moment. She could see something flickering in his eyes, something dark and heavy.

 _Tell me what you want,_ Naruto had thought desperately, wild thoughts coming to her mind, the dangerous and crazy ones only Sasuke could evoke. _Let me be what you want. I’ll do anything. I’ll give you everything._

She was about to move in even closer, maybe intertwine their fingers together and press her lips against his, because she knew the look in his eye. She’d seen it before, from other men — _lesser_ men, none of whom could ever hold a candle to the one standing in front of her at that moment. 

But before she could do anything, Sasuke had stepped back and moved away from her, and she was cold again. 

It’s always like that — every single time. Always something dancing between them, always Naruto moving in and seeking more, and always Sasuke pulling away before either of them can fall in too deep. 

Shikamaru usually meets with Sasuke outside the Village gates to obtain intel. It’s part of his official duties, known only to the Hokage and a handful of ANBU. He’s diligent about getting a thorough report and filling Naruto in accordingly. But Sasuke comes and visits Naruto in her office every few months, for no apparent reason other than her company, and each time his presence leaves her reeling. 

She does most of the talking, filling him on relevant information and random details about Shikamaru’s son and the new buildings downtown and the latest ramen restaurant opening up. _We should go and visit,_ she always says. And Sasuke rolls his eyes and scoffs, not even bothering to voice his disinterest.

“I’m such an idiot,” she says into the empty office. She’s such a fucking _fool._ Still clinging on to a silly little fantasy about a man who left the village almost a decade ago. 

He doesn’t want her, not in the way that matters. It’s clear to anyone with eyes. But it doesn't matter, because she still wants him. She wants him so much it aches. She wants him with every fibre of her being, wants everything he has to give her. She wants him to hold her and love her and be with her, forever. 

Naruto flushes as another thought comes to her. It’s more of a fantasy, really — copied almost word for word from page 87 of the fifth instalment of the Icha Icha series. It involves Naruto, Sasuke, the Hokage’s desk, and a very powerful soundproofing jutsu. 

“Pathetic,” Naruto mumbles to herself as she feels her cheeks heat up, shaking her head to try and get her thoughts back in order. 

She reaches for her pen and pulls the stack of paperwork closer to her with a sigh. Maybe she should go on that date on Friday, after all. At least if she can’t fall in love with someone else, at least she might get laid. 

She’s working through the paperwork, well past midnight and the 200-page mark, when the office door slams open and Shikamaru marches in. His hair is loose and he’s still clad in his pyjamas. 

“The hospital,” he says.

Naruto follows him down the stairs and out of the building, walking briskly through the quiet and empty Village streets to the hospital. It’s almost dawn, and Shikamaru was fast asleep in bed when two Chuunin arrived at his door with an urgent message from Haruno Sakura.

Sakura greets them at the hospital entrance. She looks exhausted, as though she’s been working all night without a single break (and knowing Sakura’s workaholic tendencies, that’s probably true). 

Naruto greets her old teammate with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “What is it, Sakura?” she asks.

“A girl, around seven years of age,” Sakura responds. “She showed up at the Village gates out of nowhere. She passed out as soon as the chuunin manning the gates saw her.” 

Naruto frowns as Sakura leads her and Shikamaru inside and past the reception desk. The hospital is bustling with activity, with almost everyone bowing their heads as Naruto walks past.

“Was she alright?” Naruto inquires.

Sakura shakes her head as she keeps walking, her expression grim. “Both her legs are so horrifically damaged it’s a miracle she was even standing.”

Naruto glances at Shikamaru sharply, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. “What happened?”

“No clue,” Sakura sighs, looking just as frustrated as Naruto feels. “She’s not talking to anyone, not answering any of our questions. We have no idea who she is or where she came from or how she obtained the injuries.”

Naruto exhales slowly. “Where is she?” she asks, and Sakura wordlessly turns on her heel and begins leading her to a hospital room. 

Shikamaru speaks up as they head down the corridor. “All of that can all be determined later,” he says, voicing Naruto’s thoughts. “Will the girl be alright?”

Sakura stops in front of a room with a door that is slightly ajar. Naruto can make out the sight of a small girl sitting up in bed, her legs covered in bandages that are thrumming with chakra. 

“She won’t be able to walk for weeks,” Sakura murmurs. “Months, even. She’ll need surgery, and then a lot of physiotherapy. It’ll be very difficult. But… she will get better.”

Naruto sighs in relief. “That’s good.”

But Sakura doesn’t look relieved. The medic turns back to the blonde, her green eyes flashing urgently. “We need answers, Naruto. I’ve determined there was underlying damage in her legs, and then this severe injury took place. I need specifics before I can perform the surgery.”

Shikamaru nods in agreement. “And we need to know…other things.” He gives Naruto a meaningful look. 

The Hokage bites at her bottom lip. “Yeah.”

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Sakura says, patting Naruto on the shoulder before walking back down the hallway.

Naruto watches her go, heart pounding in her chest, before she turns her attention back to the girl in the room. She needs to know what’s happening: who this child is and what she was running away from. She needs to know what kind of threats the Village is up against and how best to prepare for them. 

She needs to get in touch with Sasuke.

Naruto opens the door and walks inside slowly.

The girl is small and scrawny, with pale skin and short black hair tucked behind her ears. She's wearing a little pair of glasses with red frames that make her dark eyes look even wider than they already are. She watches Naruto warily as she approaches her bed, Shikamaru in tow. 

She’s trembling.

Naruto doesn’t have much experience with children. She’s spent a few evenings babysitting Shikamaru and Temari’s son when the latter insists on taking her husband out for a date night, but they’ve all gone disastrously.

The children in the village love her and look up to her, and they all clamour for her attention when she pays them a visit at the Academy, but Iruka-sensei always takes charge of those lessons before Naruto’s wild and rambunctious nature can become truly apparent. 

But she knows this girl is scared and confused, and she has to be made to feel comfortable. Otherwise, they won’t ever get a single word out of her. 

She kneels down slowly, reaching out to place a hand on the girl’s shoulder. When she flinches, Naruto pauses and lifts both of her hands up to indicate she means no harm. She's struck with a violent wave of anger against the monsters who could inflict such damage on a little girl. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Naruto says quietly. “Nobody’s going to hurt you. You’re safe here.” She pauses, waiting for the words to sink in. “Can you tell me your name?”

The girl stares at Naruto for a long, quiet moment, still looking deeply afraid. 

“Sarada,” she whispers eventually, so quiet Naruto almost misses it. 

Naruto smiles at her. “That’s a lovely name, Sarada. It’s nice to meet you.”

Sarada face scrunches up a little. 

“You were injured when we found you, but you’re going to be fine,” Naruto says.

The girl glances down at her legs, her bottom lip trembling at the sight of her injuries. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Naruto bites back a smile. She knows bravado when she sees it. “You’re very brave,” she says. She glances at Shikamaru, who is staring at the little girl with a deep frown, as though working something out in his head. 

“Sarada,” Naruto says, turning her attention back to the child. “Can you tell me what happened? And how you got here?”

Sarada bites at her bottom lip, conflicted. She opens her mouth as though to respond, but then she shuts it and gives a shake of her head.

“I’m not supposed to speak to anyone but the Hokage,” she says firmly. She recites the words as though she’s memorised them, drilled into her by someone else who then watched as she repeated them back to herself again and again.

Naruto huffs out a little laugh. “Well you’re in luck, kid, ‘cause I _am_ the Hokage.”

The girl’s eyes widen just a tad. “Uzumaki Naruto?” she repeats breathlessly.

Naruto grins. “The one and only.”

Sarada’s eyes widen even more. She opens her mouth to ask her something, but then she remembers herself. She glances to the other side of the room suspiciously. 

“He’s my advisor,” Naruto explains calmly. “My friend.”

She can’t make sense of this girl — she’s too young and too nervous to be a shinobi, but everything about her is still on edge. Not the typical fright of children, but the wariness of someone who’s sizing up a potential enemy. 

Someone who’s seen battle.

Naruto reaches out to cover Sarada’s small hand with her own. This is why she works everyday. To make sure no child has to live like this. To make a world better than the one they live in now.

“They took him,” Sarada blurts out suddenly. “Enemy shinobi loyal to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. They found where we were staying and they attacked us. He got me out and sent me here and saved me but they took him—”

“Took who?” Naruto interrupts, alarmed by the desperation in the girl’s voice. “Who did they take, Sarada? Who sent you here?”

Sarada sniffles, her eyes filling with tears as she grips the blanket tight. “My father.”

“Why would they take your father?” Naruto asks, looking up at Shikamaru in confusion.

She expects to see an expression that mirrors her own bewilderment, but Shikamaru’s eyes are suddenly wide with understanding. It’s the look he gets on his face when he’s figured out his final move in shogi. 

Naruto turns back to the girl, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She clears her throat and asks, “Who is your father?”

Sarada takes a deep, shaky breath. “Uchiha Sasuke.”


	2. Chapter 2

“What is it?” Naruto murmurs, speaking for the first time since they returned to her office.

Shikamaru shakes his head, looking deeply troubled. “We always meet at different locations outside the Village, so…” He trails off when Naruto frowns at him, scratching at his chin with a shrug. “A kid is a pretty big secret to keep. I don’t know how I’d manage to pull it off.”

“You’ve seen the girl,” Naruto says coldly. “It’s pretty obvious she didn’t have a normal childhood. She’s scared and on edge. And her legs were already in bad shape before she got these recent injuries.”

Shikamaru hums in agreement, looking deeply troubled. He’s a father, too. His own son just started walking a few months ago. 

“That fucking _bastard,”_ Naruto hisses, slamming her hands down onto the desk.

Before he can respond, Naruto rises from her seat and briskly marches over to the other side of the room where she keeps her weapons. She’s already working out of her Hokage robes and into her standard dark uniform when Shikamaru gingerly approaches her.

“Uh,” he begins. “Hokage-sama. Do you have a plan?”

“A plan?” Naruto repeats, wrapping a dark cloak around her shoulders. “Yes, I do. Kurama and I are going on a little trip. We’re going to find where they’ve taken Sasuke, destroy every one of those enemy shinobi, and end this Kaguya bullshit once and for all.” 

“Don’t do anything rash,” Shikamaru says at once. “This could be dangerous—”

“You think they’ll stand a chance against me?” demands Naruto.

“No,” Shikamaru snaps, irritated. “I’m just saying, maybe that’s their plan all along. They know you’ll go rushing after Sasuke the first chance you get, so they—

“You’re right,” Naruto interrupts. She sounds calm despite her irritation at Shikamaru’s insistence on needling her about her feelings for Sasuke. After all, the man has a point. “I’ve thought about it, and that’s definitely a possibility. But I’m the only one who can do this. Sasuke and I are the ones who defeated Kaguya and sealed her away at the end of the War. There’s nobody else, not even Kakashi-sensei, who’s familiar with this situation.”

Shikamaru scrubs his face with his hands. “This is so fucking troublesome.”

“I’ve been in dangerous situations before, Shika,” she reminds him patiently. “Remember that assassination attempt from last year? Maybe the mountains of paperwork have fooled you, but it’s a Hokage’s job to defend their Village and all of its citizens. Even if one of those citizens doesn’t exactly…live here anymore.”

Shikamaru opens his mouth to complain, but before he can say anything, there’s a puff of air. It dissipates in a few seconds, revealing a small thin snake the colour of ivory on Naruto’s desk.

“What the fuck!” Shikamaru says in surprise.

“That’s _Sasuke’s_ snake,” Naruto exclaims with relief, recognising it at once.

The snake looks up at her expectantly, as though wondering what she’s doing still standing around her office instead of rushing after his master. It slides up the desk and up Naruto’s arm, curling around her bicep comfortably. 

“Did he send you?” she inquires. 

The snake lets out a little hiss. 

“You’ll take me there?”

Another hiss, and Naruto grins. She beams up at Shikamaru triumphantly, even though her arm is starting to hurt a little now from how hard the snake is squeezing her. “See?”

Shikamaru sighs. “Of course.”

Naruto frowns as she buttons up her cloak with her free arm. “I just don’t get how he managed to get himself taken,” she admits. “Unless he’s grown lazy and sloppy in his years of fatherhood.”

Shikamaru scoffs. “You’re not going to let him live this down, are you?”

“Nope,” she says with a shrug. “Not a word of this gets out, alright? Visit the girl when you get the time. Find out all you can about her past so Sakura can begin surgery. You’re in charge while I’m gone, Shika.”

“Yeah, yeah,” her advisor mumbles. “I know it’s practically impossible for you, Naruto, but please don’t do anything too stupid.”

Naruto rolls her eyes, but she can’t help but give him an affectionate smile. She is grateful for his patience and understanding, now and always. “I’m still your Hokage. Have a little respect, will you? _And_ a little faith.”

The snake curls around her arm a little tighter, signifying its impatience. Naruto heads over to the window and is about to leave when Shikamaru stops her.

“Be careful, Naruto,” he calls.

She turns back to him with a smile, but Shikamaru has a serious expression on his face.

“You know what I'm talking about,” he says. “I mean, look at you. Ready to jump out of a window and run away to who knows where, all because of Sasuke. The worst part is that it’s always like this.”

She clears her throat. “He needs me, Shikamaru.”

Shikamaru simply turns away, shaking his head. He doesn’t bother to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “He’s not the only one who does.”

Naruto doesn't know what to say to that. So she forces a smile and gives him a nod before she leaps out of the window, disappearing into the night.

The journey takes around three days, and each and every minute is intense. The snake doesn’t let Naruto rest for more than a few hours, and the only information he’s given her is that Sasuke is still alive. Naruto own drive to find Sasuke is intense and overpowering, her heart pounding with every step with the desperate hope that he’s alright.

It’s nearing midnight when Naruto finds herself outside a large cave a few miles away from an abandoned civilian village in the Land of Earth. She can sense four chakra traces inside the cave, but what grabs her attention is the small campfire outside. Two shinobi, unaffiliated with any village, are sitting around the fire and eating dinner. They look more like they’re enjoying a casual meal instead of guarding one of the most dangerous shinobi alive.

 _A trap, maybe,_ Naruto thinks. 

The smell of roasting meat makes her stomach rumble. She’s been surviving off of nuts and berries for the past three days, and she’s starving. Annoyed, the snake wrapped around her arm squeezes tight.

“Okay, okay,” Naruto grumbles. “I can take it from here.”

The snake looks up at her, its bright green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. No doubt, he longs to see his master freed. But Naruto knows only a tracker snake, completely unsuited for battle: Sasuke probably didn’t need to use any chakra to summon it at all.

The snake disappears in a puff of air as Naruto slowly makes her way from from treetop to treetop, making sure her chakra is masked completely the closer she gets to her targets.

The two shinobi are deep in conversation. The first is small, with mousy-brown hair and a red, sniffling nose. He’s glaring at his companion: a large, burly man who’s eating his food with great relish. As soon as she hears the contents of their discussion, Naruto can’t help but roll her eyes. 

“I’m just saying,” the larger man grumbles, taking a vicious bite of his meat. He smacks his lips as he chews. “I used to get my dick wet all the time. A new woman in my bed every single night. A pretty face and soft hair and long legs wrapped around me.” He cuts himself off, his dreamy expression turning mournful. “Now I can’t even jerk off anymore.”

“You uncivilised buffoon,” the smaller man hisses, sounding deeply scandalised. “I don’t know about you, but where _I’m_ from, we have a sense of propriety about these things.”

From her perch in the tree, Naruto grins. Not only are the two men sloppy and lazy, but they’re also reluctant companions. In a fight, that will only do her good. 

“It’s not fair. I haven’t gotten laid in months,” his companion says. He scratches at his belly. “There were so many pretty little things in that village. I could’ve snatched any of them up, but no.”

“It’s part of the ritual,” the first man snarls. There’s a flush creeping up his neck, but Naruto can’t tell if it’s from anger or embarrassment. “The texts insist on complete chastity by each and every participant for at least two months beforehand, otherwise it won’t work. Weren’t you paying attention?”

“Whatever,” says the larger man. He reaches forward to snatch up another piece of meat, letting out a low belch. “Now we’ve got the Uchiha, we can get this shit over and done with.” 

Naruto slowly creeps down the tree, tuning out their continued bickering in order to concentrate on each and every sound she makes. It’s only when she’s a few feet away from them, still within the forest, that she lets a small concentration of chakra unfurl.

“Excuse me,” she says in a small voice, stepping out from between the bushes.

They both scramble to their feet in surprise. The smaller, mousy-haired man snatches up a kunai and points it at her. His stance is horrible, and there’s a slight tremor in his hands as he glares at her.

“Who are you?” he demands. “What do you want?”

Naruto shivers, wrapping her cloak around herself a little tighter. She pitches her voice to make herself sound younger and more girlish. “I’m lost. Please can I keep warm?”

The man opens his mouth to respond, furious at the suggestion, but Naruto quickly adds, “Please, sir. I’m scared. I have nowhere else to go. Some bandits attacked my village and—”

His companion interrupts by rising to his feet. He leers at Naruto at the reminder of his own exploits, revealing a set of ugly, yellowing teeth. “Oh, so _that’s_ where you’re from.”

Naruto nods shakily. She lets the cloak slip off her shoulder just a bit, and doesn’t miss the way the man’s eyes immediately zero in on the bare skin of her collarbone. 

He beckons for her, still grinning as he ignores the panicked hiss of his companion. “You must be cold. I’ll keep you warm, sweetheart. Come here.”

“Thank you,” Naruto says, giving him a smile of her own. And then she attacks.

The fight is over in just a few minutes. The two men are arrogant, weak and lack co-ordination. They’d landed more successful hits on each other than on Naruto herself by the time she killed them, cutting their throats and watching as they slumped to the ground.

She’s kicking the larger man’s body away when there are gasps of anger and fear from the entrance of the cave. Two shinobi are gaping at her. Naruto knows she’s a terrible sight: covered in blood, a kunai in each hand, and the Kyuubi’s chakra flaring dangerously. They both bolt and head back into the cave, no doubt to warn their companions, but they’re far too slow. Besides, it’s not like the others inside aren’t already aware of her presence.

Naruto takes them out quickly, growling as one of them tries to stab her in the thigh with a poisoned senbon. Something inside her snarls with laughter. _Don’t they know what I am,_ she thinks viciously, stepping over their corpses and making her way inside the cave with a sneer.

Sasuke’s sitting on a boulder on the other side of the cave. He’s sitting upright, perfect posture as always. There are ropes wrapped around his ankles and his wrists, and his sword is nowhere in sight. There are two men in face-masks standing front of him. One of them has a sword unsheathed and pointed right at her; the other is gripping a fancy-looking dagger.

Naruto ignores them completely. “Sasuke,” she breathes, relief flooding her. 

The swordsman yells, “Stand down, Jinchuuriki! We _will_ kill you!”

A small smirk appears on Sasuke’s lips. The sight of it makes Naruto smile as she takes a casual step forward. “What’s all this about a ritual, hmm?” she asks the shinobi. “You planning on sacrificing my friend over here?”

The man frowns, his grip on his sword tightening. “We are the Ōtsutsuki Order. You and Uchiha sealed our Lady Kaguya away at the end of the War. We plan on bringing her back.”

Naruto scowls, feeling so very fed-up in that moment that she forgets herself. “I am so fucking sick and _tired_ of you Kaguya freaks trying to end the world and kill my friends. Not only is it cruel and twisted, but it’s also very annoying. I mean, let me tell you. I’ve already got a lot on my hands as the Hokage. Never-ending paperwork. Rogue shinobi. Trade deals and competition with other Villages. My godson, who hates my guts and cries whenever I pick him up. And _this_ guy.” 

She points at Sasuke, who silently rolls his eyes at her dramatics. Even the two men are blinking at Naruto in confusion. 

Naruto smiles sheepishly, embarrassed by distracted she'd gotten. She lets the Kyuubi’s chakra unfurl once more, grinning when the men let out a terrified whimper and stumble backwards. “Time to end this shit once and for all.”

She spares the swordsman because he’s a talker and she needs information. She throws him on top of his companion’s corpse, stabbing him in his side before she drops on top of him.

“Why do you need an Uchiha for this ritual?” Naruto inquires in a low voice, twisting the kunai slowly.

“It was Madara the last time,” the man howls. “The body of an Uchiha is crucial, otherwise it won’t work. We’ve been following the Uchiha for months.”

“Tell me about your Order,” Naruto demands. “Who is your leader?”

The man whines in agony. “Lady Kaguya is our leader. We live to serve her.” He lifts his head, his eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t kill me.”

Naruto snaps his neck in one clean motion, killing him immediately. She rises to her feet, rubbing her blood-stained hands on her cloak before turning back to Sasuke. He’s watching her impassively, his white snake wrapped around his arm comfortably.

Naruto hesitates before making her way over to where he’s seated. It’s been too long since she last saw Sasuke. Now, she resists the urge to reach out and touch him.

Sasuke’s face is completely expressionless as she approaches him. “Your technique is still shit,” he says by way of greeting.

Naruto gapes at him. And then, because she can’t help it, she reaches over and pinches him on the inside of his thigh. _Hard._

 _“Ouch,”_ Sasuke hisses, yanking his leg away from her. “You fucking—”

“One more word,” Naruto warns, “and I’m leaving you here to rot. What kind of moron lets himself get kidnapped, anyway?”

Sasuke falls silent, but she can feel him glaring at her as she kneels down and eyes the ropes critically. They’re thrumming with fierce chakra she can’t recognise. Naruto activates the Kyuubi’s chakra in her hands to dull the effect of them as she begins tugging at them with her hands, wincing as the skin of her palms sizzle in reaction to the clash of chakra. 

She’s halfway through the gruelling process when Sasuke says, “Sarada. She’s safe.”

Naruto pauses before giving him a small nod. As angry as she is with him, she won’t withhold information about his daughter — not when he went to such insane lengths to protect her. “She’s safe,” she confirms. “Sakura is working on her injuries as we speak.” 

He relaxes just an inch, and says nothing as Naruto tugs at Sasuke’s shirt this way and that. She can make out a severe gash on his arm and a couple of nasty scratches, but other than that he seems unharmed.

“And _your_ injuries…” she says, frowning up at him in confusion. “Don’t get me wrong, Uchiha, I’m glad you’re not hurt, but I was expecting something more substantial.”

“Substantial?” Sasuke repeats, looking amused. “That’s a big word.” When Naruto reaches over to pinch him again he quickly pulls his leg away and adds, “I can hold my own, you know.”

Naruto rolls her eyes, both relieved and depressed at how quickly they’ve descended into their old routine of bickering. “I know that. But still.”

“They needed me alive and well,” Sasuke tells her. “A sacrifice isn’t any good unless it’s in optimal condition. You should know this by now.”

“So how’d these morons capture you, then?” Naruto snarls. “Since you’re so smart and strong and can hold your own?”

Sasuke blinks at the venom in her tone. He looks away, glaring at something in the distance. “They captured Sarada first,” he responds. “They almost got away, but I managed to take her place and send her to the outskirts of Konoha at the last second.”

Naruto stares at him. It was undoubtedly a powerful jutsu he’d used, especially considering the dire circumstances, but Sasuke has never been one to brag or show off. 

She tugs the rest of the ropes off, freeing him. Sasuke rises to his feet and kicks the ropes away, a look of disdain on his face. “This shit is way above these morons' pay-grade.” He nods at Naruto’s hands. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she says, letting the Kyuubi’s chakra fade away. The skin of her palms are smooth, having healed instantaneously. “You’re familiar with these…items?”

Sasuke crouches down, glaring at the material of the ropes. “Chakra-infused ropes. Rare stuff, made special. The material reacts very violently to any chakra that it comes into contact with. There’s a strong market for these kind of things. It’s been one of my latest missions, trying to put a stop to it." He shakes his head with a scowl. "That’s how they managed to find me.” 

They begin making their way out of the cave, but not before Sasuke heads over to the leader of the group and takes the man’s sword. It’s not his own, but it's not like he cares: Sasuke has never been one to view weapons with any kind of sentimentality. 

Naruto looks at Sasuke from the corner of her eye as they begin walking back through the forest. He looks impassive, oddly calm despite everything. It’s at that moment that Naruto’s anger returns to her.

“Before I left, your daughter said it was her fault you got taken,” Naruto tells him. 

Sasuke glances at her and says nothing. 

“She was pretty worked up about it,” Naruto adds. “Your daughter.”

She can't keep the anger out of her voice. It's so obvious that Sasuke looks at her again, frowning openly now.

“You’re angry,” he states.

Naruto scoffs, carefully stepping over a large stone. She keeps her gaze down because she doesn’t trust herself not to punch him in the face. “Very perceptive.”

“About Sarada,” concludes Sasuke. He’s trailing a few steps behind her now. “You’re angry I didn’t tell you.” 

He doesn’t sound remorseful or sorry at all about the fact, which makes Naruto stop in her tracks and spin around to face him.

“Of course I’m fucking angry,” she snaps. “How could you keep something so important from me?”

He’s startled by the sudden viciousness in her tone, his eyes widening slightly. But then his eyes narrow and he says coldly, “I didn’t know I was supposed to share every single detail of my life with you, Hokage-sama.”

“Spare me your bullshit, Sasuke. I’m not speaking as your Hokage,” Naruto hisses. “I’m speaking as your friend. I just thought — isn’t that what we are?”

It sounds pathetic to her own ears: her relationship with Sasuke has never, ever been neat enough to define as friendship. It’s always been friends that are rivals, friends that are enemies, friends at the end of the world, and friends with something far too dangerous and intense playing out between them.

It’s made even worse when Sasuke says nothing, neither confirming nor denying her words. His face is blank, and he simply watches Naruto as she glares at the cave floor for several long, tense moments.

“Let’s get out of here,” Sasuke says eventually, breaking the silence. He turns and resumes their trek out of the cave, hand resting idly on the hilt of his sword. 

Naruto watches him walk away, her shoulders trembling with anger and hurt. 

They rent some lodgings for the night so Sasuke can tend to his injuries and rest. Naruto does most of the talking, after Sasuke casts a genjutsu to mask their identities to the bored teenager working at the reception desk.

The room is tiny and cramped, with just a narrow bed and enough space to roll a small futon the receptionist reluctantly provided them with. It’s dawn when they shut the door of the room behind them, but the dirty window hardly lets in enough sunlight.

Sasuke takes the floor without a word, sitting up as he rolls up the sleeve of his shirt. Naruto is in bed, laying on her side. Despite her frustration and hurt, she can’t bear to watch him fumble around the ugly wound with one hand. So she sits up, snatching the bandages away from him.

“Let me do it,” she mutters.

Sasuke hesitates, but lets her tend to his injury. She cleans the wound and ties it up, mumbling about making sure he pays Sakura a visit to make sure it’s properly healed. 

They have a quiet supper of bread and soup, sitting together on the dusty wooden floor of the room, their backs resting against the wall. There’s hardly any space between them because the room is so tiny, but their legs brushing against each other don’t fill Naruto with a sense of thrill as it normally would.

She sneaks glances at Sasuke every now and then, wondering if he’s ever going to break the silence, or if she’s going to be doing all the talking as usual.

Of course, it’s the latter.

“It’s going to take a long time before Sarada is better,” Naruto blurts out. “Sakura says she’ll need physiotherapy as well as surgery. But there’s no lasting damage.”

Sasuke nods. “That’s good.”

“You might want to let your wife know it’ll be a while before Sarada can leave the hospital,” she adds. “She can come and visit, though.”

Sasuke’s fingers hesitate as he reaches for his glass of water, but he continues eating without a word. 

Naruto feels her skin prickling with anger. Now that she’s said the words aloud, she pictures Sarada’s mother: a faceless woman from somewhere far away who managed to make Uchiha Sasuke stop in his tracks. Where is she? And why wasn’t Naruto aware of her existence?

She grips her spoon tight. She should know better than to run her mouth, especially when she can see the stiff set of Sasuke’s shoulders and the tight clench of his jaw, but she can’t help it. “Her legs were already in bad shape before she got attacked,” Naruto says.

Sasuke remains silent, which only sets Naruto’s anger off even more. She can feel something ugly snarling in her chest, something furious and petty and jealous. She glares at Sasuke from above her bowl and adds in a low sneer, “But I suppose getting her proper healthcare was the least of your concerns—”

Suddenly, Sasuke grabs her wrist and grips tight — hard enough to bruise. Naruto stares at him, wide-eyed and frozen in place, as his words come out in a vicious growl. 

“You can throw your little hissy fit, moron, and feel upset that I didn’t tell you,” he says, voice low and dangerous, “but don’t ever presume to know _anything_ about my relationship with Sarada. She’s _my_ daughter.”

Naruto snatches her hand back, knocking over her empty glass of water as she does. The loud sound is jarring in the quiet of the room, but neither of them pay it any mind. They’re busy glaring at each other, Naruto’s chest heaving with her anger, a rage so thick she could almost choke on it.

“And what kind of father are you?” she demands. “Does your _daughter_ even go to school? Or is life on the road all she’s ever known?” 

Sasuke makes a growling noise low in his throat and looks away, glaring daggers at the bowl in front of him. When he doesn’t answer, she leans in close and hisses, “Where’s her mother? What is she to you, Sasuke? What is _Sarada_ to you? Just a part of your plan to restore the Uchiha name?”

Sasuke looks up at her sharply. The sight of his blood-red Sharingan swirling furiously makes Naruto’s breath catch in her throat. 

“What would _you_ know about family?” he demands. “You spent your childhood all alone, living in a shit-hole in downtown Konoha. You had no mother, no father, no clan. Nobody ever gave a fuck about you. So what the hell do you know about family and — and what it’s like to care for someone like that?”

Naruto’s hands are trembling with her anger. “That’s not—”

He cuts her off, holding up a hand as he rises to his feet. Sasuke’s entire frame is thrumming with chakra, so furious Naruto can’t help but recoil. “We’ll stay in the Village until Sarada is healed,” he snaps. “And then we’ll be out of your way.”

Naruto stares up at him, mouth dropping open in shock. Her anger is gone immediately, replaced by a sense of misery so deep it makes her stomach twist in knots. 

She understands why Sasuke left. She always has. It broke her heart to watch him go, but she _understood._ As she bid him farewell in the forest, she’d handed him his headband and wished him good luck on his journey. _I hope you find what you’re looking for._

Sasuke had blinked at the headband in his hands, stunned that she had held onto it for so long. Naruto spared him the recollection of all the nights she’d clung to it, deep in some forest as Jiraiya lay snoring by her side; how she’d run her fingers along the cracked metal and stare up at the bright moon and wonder where he was and what he was doing. Instead, she’d given him a friendly smile and a promise that he would always have a home in Konoha as long as he wanted it.

He’d stared at Naruto for such a long moment it almost felt awkward. And then the corner of his mouth had lifted up in a small, secret smile. As if to tell her, _I know._

But now, as he picks up his sword and storms out of the room, and out of her way, she wonders if Sasuke had even heard her at all.

Surprisingly, Sasuke is the one who apologises first.

They’re picking their way through the forest the following morning, around two days away from the Village. They’d eaten breakfast together in complete silence, with Naruto choosing to sit on the bed because she couldn’t bear to be anywhere near him. But now, both of their anger has fizzled out entirely, only to be replaced with an awkward quiet. Sasuke’s white snake is slithering rapidly on the ground, leading them through a safe trail out of the forest.

Sasuke clears his throat. Naruto glances at him, wondering if he means to alert her to some danger, but he doesn’t say anything — nor does he even look at her. She can’t sense anything, either. She ignores him and goes back to stepping over a huge, twisted tree root. 

Sasuke clears his throat again. 

“Is there something stuck in your throat?” Naruto demands finally.

He scowls at her, a flush creeping up his neck. Naruto rolls her eyes and turns away, kicking at a pebble on the ground a little viciously. Several awkward moments pass before Sasuke speaks.

“What I said last night,” he says. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

Naruto looks at him, unable to stop the way her lips curve up into a small smile. It’s stiff and awkward, like all of Sasuke’s attempts to apologise, but it’s still something. She’s never been one to hold grudges, anyway. That was always his area of expertise.

“Yeah,” Naruto agrees. She hesitates before adding, “And I shouldn’t have judged you that way. I didn’t mean to presume or to be cruel.”

“I know you didn’t,” Sasuke says with a low sigh. He looks exhausted all of a sudden, far older than his 27 years. 

Naruto reaches for him gently, placing a hand on his elbow. “You’re always welcome in Konoha,” Naruto tells him, pitching her voice low. “You wouldn’t be in the way. You and your daughter can stay for as long as you want. And I’ll make sure Sarada gets all the care she requires.” 

When he doesn’t say anything, she shifts on her feet a little awkwardly and adds, “It might be good for you too, Sasuke. To have a break and the chance to rest and stay still for a while.”

Sasuke watches her carefully, his dark gaze boring into her. For all her might, Naruto can’t pin down what the unreadable expression on his face means; what the slight frown and downturn of his lips signify. But she needs him to know she means every single word.

But Sasuke still doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t respond at all. Instead, he chooses to end the moment by turning and walking away. He huffs out a little scoff (his version of a laugh, Naruto has come to learn over the years) and says, over his shoulder, “You talk too much.”

Naruto splutters angrily, marching after him quickly to keep up with his long strides. 

“I’m trying to be nice!” Naruto says hotly. “You’re long overdue for a vacation, anyway. I always wondered if you took any time off while you were off on your missions or if you were managing to have any fun. Little did I know…”

He shoves at her half-heartedly, and then shoves at her again when her laugh echoes a little too loudly through the forest clearing. 

They’re a day’s journey away from the Village when Sasuke’s injuries begin to bother him again. He summons another one of his snakes — a smaller, deep-blue cobra this time — and orders it to heal his arm as Naruto ignores his protests and books them a room for the night. 

It’s a small, old-fashioned lodging that looks like it’s seen better days, though it also provides a hearty dinner. Naruto immediately accepts the offer and arranges for their meal to be brought up to their room. 

“Oh, young love,” the old lady working at the reception desk coos. 

Naruto flushes, resisting with all her might not to visibly cringe at her words. Posing as a married couple would provide better cover for the two of them, but it’s just so _awkward._

She sneaks a glance at Sasuke. He's standing by the door, staring out of the small window with his arms crossed. He looks imposing and dangerous and ridiculously handsome, despite everything.

Fighting down the blush working its way up her neck, Naruto turns back to the receptionist and blurts out, “We’re not young. We’re 27.”

The old woman waves a hand dismissively. “You’re still mighty young in my eyes, little lady.” She resumes writing their details in the lodging’s ancient-looking register, but it’s not long before she looks up at Naruto again with a knowing smile. “No babies, yet?”

Naruto’s blush comes back in full force, and she begins spluttering with far less dignity than a Hokage ought to have. “I — uh — you —”

“If that’s all,” Sasuke says coldly, walking up to the reception desk with a frown. “We’ll be heading up to our room now.”

The old lady blinks in surprise, giving a slow nod. “Of course. I’ll bring your meal up soon.”

Without a word, Sasuke grabs Naruto by the wrist and leads her away from the reception desk before she can so much as utter a thank-you. He tugs her up the narrow staircase and towards their room. Naruto protests aloud, hissing about how rude he is and how he’s gripping her too tight, but she can’t take her eyes of the sight of his hand on her. 

When the door shuts behind them, he lets her go and tugs off his cloak angrily. “That’s exactly why I said we should take cover in the woods instead.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Naruto scoffs. “You’re still injured.”

Sasuke heads over to the bathroom to shower. He’s in there for a long time, and Naruto is about to pound on the door and tell him to hurry up already when the old lady arrives with their meal.

“Where’s the husband?” she asks, peeking around the room curiously. 

“He’s having a wash,” Naruto says, taking the tray of food from her. She tries to hide the sight of their weapons laid out on the bed. It probably wouldn’t do their cover as innocent civilian husband and wife any good. 

“He’s a grumpy one, isn’t he?” the old lady says. “But you know what they say about how opposites attract.”

She gives Naruto a conspiratorial wink before walking away down the corridor. Naruto sighs, shutting the door with her foot.

She almost screams when she turns around and sees Sasuke right in front of her, with nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist. 

“Food’s here,” she says instead, praying with all her might that she’s not visibly blushing. “Let’s eat.”

They have their meal in relative quiet, but Naruto fills in the silence every now and then by giving updates on what’s been happening in the village. It’s tradition at this point, and Sasuke simply nods every now and then as she tells him about Sakura's new apartment and Shikamaru's son and Kakashi-sensei's new genin team.

Naruto keeps her eyes fixed on her own plate, because the sight of Sasuke’s bare chest is far too distracting and reminds her of the various dreams she's had of having her hands and lips all over him. She almost drops her fork when he reaches over to pour himself some water and his towel shifts a little, revealing even more of the dark trail of hair on his navel that disappears under the cloth.

Afterwards, they stand together on the balcony and watch the quiet street below. It's reminiscent of all the quiet nights they've shared together in her office, looking outside and not saying anything and standing just a little too close to each other. The night air is cool, but Sasuke doesn't seem bothered by the chill, even though he's still only wearing a towel. 

“You’re not cold?” she asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. “It’s good.” 

He clears his throat again in that awkward, stiff way that indicates he wants to tell her something personal, and Naruto holds her peace this time. Thankfully, it doesn't take too long for him to get the words out. 

“Sarada broke both of her legs when she was still a baby,” he says quietly. “She fell out of a tree. I should’ve caught her, I know, but she was so fast and I was still—” He stops abruptly, shaking his head with a deep frown. “I took her to a healer who patched her up, and she seemed fine ever since. But I guess he didn’t do as good of a job as I thought.”

He looks pained, as though the memory of it still troubles him to this day. 

“Sarada is my daughter,” Sasuke tells Naruto. “She’s of my blood. I had to guarantee her safety, to protect her from crazy fuckers like those.” 

Naruto’s heart aches for the two of them. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been targeted,” she realises.

He shakes his head. “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“So it’s not because you can’t trust me?” Naruto says, forcing a grin. “That’s a relief, because I am a Kage now, you know. If you think I’m still a loud little brat who runs her mouth, I’d be pretty concerned.”

“I trust you, Naruto,” Sasuke interrupts. Something about the careful way he says her name, as though trying to make her understand, takes her breath away. “And I wanted to tell you. But as much as I wanted to, I had to…”

He trails off again, and Naruto doesn’t bother asking him to finish his sentence. Sasuke has never been a man of many words, and Naruto has accepted that part of him just as she’s accepted everything else. 

They stand there for a few moments, enjoying the quiet of the night now that the angry, violent tension between them has disappeared. The exhaustion of the past few days has finally caught up with her, but Naruto wants nothing more than to continue standing here, like this, with Sasuke by her side.

“You cut your hair,” he says quietly. 

Naruto blinks, reaching up to toy with a few strands of her hair. Ever since an incident when she was thirteen years old, where Jiraiya accidentally stuck gum in her hair and forced her to shave it all off, she’d been determined to keep her hair long. She usually tied it back in a low ponytail or braid while she was working or training. But, on an impulsive whim a few months ago, she hacked away at it with a pair of scissors until it stopped just under her chin. It felt good, and she liked the way it made her face look: sharper, older, more serious. 

“Looks good this way, right?” she asks. 

Sasuke reaches up with a hand, taking the lock of hair between his own fingers. He’s still gazing at her intently, as though he’s trying to memorise each and every detail of her face. “It always does.”

In that moment, Naruto is hyper-aware of the closeness between their two bodies. She takes in all of the details: the towel wrapped around his waist, the heat radiating from his bare chest, the way the water trickles down his broad shoulders. His dark hair has been slicked back with water, showing off his smooth brow, the slope of his nose, the strong line of his jaw, the heat flickering in his dark eyes as he watches her.

Even after all these years, he is still the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. And she can feel that old familiar tugging between them, the one that’s always been there —growing only stronger and more relentless despite the months of distance and secrets. 

“I wanted to tell you,” Sasuke tells her again. “I know I should have.”

She feels frozen in place, the intensity of his gaze so overwhelming she can scarcely breathe. Still, after a moment, she forces a little smile. “Well, I forgive you.”

Sasuke gives her a smile of his own, small and secretive. _This is dangerous,_ Naruto thinks, unable to look away.

But then he says, “I know.” His voice is low, almost teasing. “You always do.”

Naruto exhales slowly at his words. The acknowledgment of her devotion and forgiveness should fill her with pleasure, but it doesn’t. 

It makes her feel small.

She remembers the disappointment writ large on Shikamaru’s face as she was about to leave her office, the tiredness in his eyes as he watched her leave everything behind for Sasuke. _It’s always like this._

He moves in close, lets something dangerous build up between them, and then pulls away when she can’t resist any longer. He leaves, again and again. He hurts her. He keeps things from her, safe in the knowledge that no matter what he does to her or how often he does it, she will always let it go.

This time, Naruto is the one who moves away. It takes all of her willpower to take a careful step back, feeling something in her stomach twist as Sasuke’s arm drops to his side. When she speaks, her voice is calm and measured. Professional, just like a Hokage. “We should get some rest.”

Sasuke clears his throat, looking a little awkward now that the moment is suddenly over. “Yeah.”

Naruto heads over to the bed, busying herself with cleaning her weapons. She doesn’t look up at Sasuke, who remains standing there for a few more seconds — not even as he heads over to the bathroom to get changed. She exhales when the door slams shut, a lump in her throat, shivering from the sudden cold. 

She wonders if it’s always going to hurt this much.


	3. Chapter 3

The eyes of the young chuunin at the Village gates widen dramatically as they approach. He stares, for what must be an entire minute, at the sight of Uchiha Sasuke standing right next to the Seventh Hokage.

“Good morning,” Naruto says cheerily, trying to jolt the young man out of his stupor. “Open the Gates, please.”

The boy doesn’t move. He stands there, gaping up at Sasuke with his mouth slightly open, as though unable to believe his own eyes.

“Your Hokage gave you an order, boy,” Sasuke snaps eventually, losing his patience. His hand is gripping the hilt of his sword so firmly his knuckles have gone white and his Sharingan is spinning, slow and dangerous.

“Hokage-sama,” he gasps out eventually, giving a jerky little bow before he rushes away. 

Naruto gives Sasuke a side-long glance, but she decides to remain quiet for now. He’s been this for the past several hours: impatient to arrive in the Village so he can be reunited with his daughter. He’s already asked her to confirm if Sarada’s injuries really _were_ treatable, if it really was _Sakura_ left in charge of her care, and if anybody else knows about her presence in the Village. Naruto answered all of his questions with as much patience as possible, but it proved hard to keep the tension out of her own voice. She has never quite seen Sasuke so agitated before, and the sight has made her feel on edge, too. 

Before the Village gates are even fully open, Sasuke is marching inside with the familiarity of someone who lives within its walls all year round. Naruto follows him, her heart pounding as a myriad of questions invade her mind. What if he decides to leave now, after all? Has he ever made his way towards _her_ with such longing?

Naruto instantly loathes herself for that, and pushes the shameful thought away.

Naruto has more or less successfully trained the villagers not to react to her presence with any kind of extreme adoration or awe. She is their Hokage, but she doesn’t want them to give her any special treatment. She’s not used to it, after a lifetime of being scorned and shunned. 

Though they’re gawking now, their shock is almost entirely because of Sasuke. But although people know he is technically still a shinobi of Konoha, and a close ally and friend of their Hokage, they’re still stunned to see him passing them in the streets (his expression fierce, his chakra crackling, and his hand gripping the hilt of his sword). 

Uchiha Sasuke was pardoned completely as soon as he was released from prison. His crucial role in ending the War — emphasised by countless onlookers, Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto herself — had guaranteed that. There was little doubt, the Council agreed reluctantly, that none of them would be alive if it wasn’t for Sasuke joining their side.

But his crimes against the Village had not been forgotten, and his reputation continues to proceed him.

Sakura is waiting for them by the hospital reception desk, which means the rumours reached her before they did.

“You’re in luck,” their former teammate tells them. “The surgery’s in twenty minutes. You can see her until the anaesthetist arrives.” 

She’s handling the situation with her typical grace and level-headedness, the same reason Sakura was always Kakashi-sensei’s favourite out of all three of them. Sasuke gives her a quick nod, and then they’re following Sakura up the stairs and down a long, seemingly never-ending hallway. The nurses and patients alike all stop to gawk at Sasuke. Many of them are civilians, unused to such a wild chakra trace, but before Naruto can remind him to tone it down they come to a stop in front of a closed door.

“She’s in here,” Sakura tells them. She gives Sasuke a heavy, sympathetic look which he ignores completely in favour of staring at the number on the door: 118. 

“I’m going to get ready for the surgery,” Sakura says, turning and disappearing down the hallway. 

When she’s gone, Sasuke reaches for the doorknob. He hesitates for a moment, an unreadable look on his face, before he turns it and opens the door. 

Sarada is awake and sitting up in bed, gazing out of the window with her eyes glazed over as though she’s daydreaming. She’s wearing a hospital gown, the thick bandages on her legs still glowing and humming with chakra.

Sasuke freezes, staring at her before letting out a slow, shaky exhale. Another moment passes, and he still doesn’t move. Naruto is about to say something when Sarada senses his presence and turns to the door, eyes widening at the sight of him.

“Papa,” she breathes, her bottom lip trembling.

Sasuke immediately marches over to her bedside. As soon as he’s next to her, Sarada throws her arms around him and begins to cry.

“I’m so sorry, Papa,” she sobs. “It was all my fault — I didn’t listen to you — please don’t be angry —”

Sasuke makes a low shushing sound, placing a gentle hand on her head. “I’m not angry with you.”

Sarada pulls away, her cheeks wet with tears. “But I ran off without telling you—”

“We all make mistakes,” Sasuke interrupts quietly. “It doesn’t matter now, Sara.”

Sarada’s bottom lip wobbles, and she buries her face in her father’s chest again. 

Naruto is struck by the tenderness of the scene in front of her. She feels awkward as she shuts the door behind her, approaching the two of them and standing a few feet away.

“I’m proud of you,” Sasuke tells Sarada, still stroking her head gently. “You were very brave. You were hurt badly, but you still made it all the way here and relayed my message. And now we’re both here, together.”

Sarada lifts her head up, staring up at him with teary eyes. “The bad men are gone?”

“They are,” Sasuke confirms. He glances at Naruto, nodding towards her. “The Hokage defeated them and then rescued me.”

Sarada looks at Naruto sharply, her eyes shining bright with gratitude.

“Now,” Sasuke says, letting go of her. He pulls up a chair and sits by her bedside, crossing his arms over his chest. “Tell me about your injuries. A full report, please.”

Sarada straightens up at once. She rubs at her wet cheeks before pointing towards the heavy bandages on her legs. 

“They’re broken in eight different places, but the bandages are infused with some kind of weird chakra so I can’t feel any pain,” she recites. “I’m going to have surgery and then something else, a recovery programme to help me walk again. It’s called pha…phee…?” 

“Physiotherapy,” Naruto supplies, stunned. The girl is only eight years old, but she is incredibly well-spoken and focused. When she was eight, she was a notorious dead-last.

She then resists the urge to roll her eyes. Of course Sasuke’s daughter would be a prodigy.

Sasuke gestures for Naruto to sit down, so she pulls up a chair of her own, making sure to give them what feels like a decent amount of space. 

“We’re going to have to stay put in the Village while you have your physiotherapy,” Sasuke says. 

“We’ll be staying here?” Sarada repeats, eyes wide in excitement. 

Sasuke reaches over to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. “Is that alright with you?”

The little girl nods so fast her glasses almost fly right off her face. “Will I get my own room?”

“You’ve always had your own room,” Sasuke responds, looking a little miffed.

Sarada shrugs, eyebrows knitted together. She fiddles with her blanket and says, “I mean a _proper_ room. Where I can paint the walls and put posters up without worrying about the mad lady.”

Sasuke sighs. “ _Land_ lady,” he corrects, but Sarada’s little smirk makes Naruto think the girl is well aware of the proper word. “And we’ll talk about that later, alright?”

The girl nods, satisfied with that answer for now. But then her eyes widen suddenly. “What about all my stuff? My clothes? My books?” 

Sasuke rubs at his jaw thoughtfully. He hasn’t shaved in a while, and Naruto notices a hint of stubble there. He looks exhausted, but he says, “I’ll get it for you.”

Sarada beams at him. “Don't forget my books, Papa. _Especially_ the purple one. It’s the most important.” 

Naruto is so taken by the adorable scene in front of her that she almost misses the way Sarada suddenly turns to her with wide, hesitant eyes.

Sasuke pokes his daughter in the thigh, still so impossibly gentle. “Go on. Ask her.”

“What is it?” Naruto asks, looking between them in confusion.

Sarada twists the fabric of the blanket again. It takes a moment, but the words begin tumbling out. “I’m working on a project, because Papa says it’s good to work on projects, and I’m writing all about Konohagakure and the Hokages and since you’re a Hokage and the coolest one ever I was wondering—”

“Sara,” Sasuke interrupts quietly, but his gaze is fond. 

His daughter nods quickly, readjusting her glasses on her nose before she tries again. She clears her throat and asks politely, “Please may I interview you, Hokage-sama?”

“Interview?” Naruto repeats in surprise, lips curving up in a smile. She’s been asked for interviews by many people over the years, and none of them have been an eight year old girl.

“Sarada is a fan of yours,” Sasuke says, poking Sarada again when she blushes and shrugs.

“I did another project on the First Shinobi War, and Papa gave me four stars out of five,” she confesses. “This time, I want to get five stars! Maybe even six!”

 _Papa_ or not, it’s evident that Sasuke’s perfectionist tendencies still know no bounds. “Strict bastard,” Naruto chuckles under her breath, clearing her throat awkwardly when Sasuke glares at her.

Sarada, thankfully, seems lost in thought. There’s a troubled look on her face as she begins, “What if…” She trails off, chewing at her bottom lip.

Sasuke reaches over to poke her lip gently. “Enough of that,” he tells her quietly, as though familiar with the anxious gesture. “What if what?”

“What if people here don’t like me?” she whispers. “What if I’m not smart enough or strong enough?”

Naruto’s heart aches when she hears her words. The girl might be Sasuke’s daughter, but it seems she’s inherited very little of his ego. 

Sasuke leans back in his chair. He doesn’t look annoyed by the questions, just bemused. “We’ve been training together for years, Sara. You’re clever, you’re fast, you have a natural affinity for fire—” 

He cuts himself off when he sees she doesn’t look fully convinced. He tilts his head to the side and he eyes his daughter carefully.

“Who are you?” Sasuke asks her suddenly.

Despite the sternness of his tone, something flashes in Sarada’s eyes. She straightens up a little — as much as the heavy bandages on her legs will allow — and answers, in a firm voice, “Uchiha Sarada.”

Sasuke’s lips curve up into a small smile. “Uchiha Sarada,” he repeats, nodding slowly.

Naruto remembers, with a jolt, that Sarada has not grown up in the Village. Her perception of the Uchiha clan is limited to whatever Sasuke has told her, and whatever else she may have gleamed from her life on the road so far (and knowing Sasuke, that might be nothing at all).

It’s all made even more complicated by the fact that the Village don’t know the truth regarding the Uchiha clan. They still believe the clan was massacred by one of their own, having gone mad with bloodlust. Even though Itachi redeemed himself in the end, with Naruto emphasising the instrumental role he played in the winning the War, many people still view the name Uchiha as a dirty, dangerous thing. And despite Naruto’s best efforts to change their perceptions, there has not been an Uchiha living within Konoha’s walls for over a decade. The last one who did has left a controversial legacy in his wake.

But now, Uchiha Sarada speaks her clan name with pride — and it is her right to do so. She is descended from fire-breathing warriors who were unrivalled in power and ferocity, who founded Konoha and changed their world forever. She is the niece of the most loyal shinobi the Village has produced, daughter of the man who won them the War, and descendant to an entire line of heroes and legends. Sasuke has taught her as much, and he has shielded her from a world that would have her think differently.

Naruto is terrified that someday, that will all change for Sarada. That someone will make her feel small and less-than because of who she is and the lineage she comes from. That they will try to hurt her for it. 

_Let them try,_ something dangerous inside her snarls, and she is struck by the sudden protectiveness she feels for this small, bright little girl.

The door opens and a kind-looking doctor with grey hair enters the room. She introduces herself as the anaesthetist, and announces it is now time for Sarada to head to the operating room. “Doctor Haruno is ready for you now, little lady,” she coos.

Sarada scowls. “I’m not _little,”_ she says hotly. “I’m almost nine.” 

The nurse chuckles as she fiddles with the IV drip, and even Sasuke smiles a little. But his smile turns into a frown when Sarada suddenly grabs the front of his cloak, looking frightened as the drugs begin to slowly kick in. 

“Papa…” she whimpers, tugging him closer as the nurse begins to fill up the anaesthetic.

Sasuke cups her small face with his hand. “I’ll be right here when you wake up,” he promises her.

It takes several long moments, but Sarada gradually relaxes and lets go of his cloak. She settles back down in the bed, looking up at her father with all the trust in the world. 

Something in Naruto’s heart clenches at the way Sasuke treats his daughter. It’s the quiet of his voice, the tenderness in each and every word, and the gentleness of his touch.

She watches as Sarada reaches for her father’s other hand, watches Sasuke intertwine his fingers with her much smaller ones and hold tight. He doesn’t kiss her, or tell her a bedtime story, or coddle her with promises about treating her with ice cream the next day if she goes to sleep like Shikamaru and Temari do with their son. There’s still a hesitant carefulness in the way he carries himself — the carefulness that will always define him. But it isn’t cold or distant. It is as if he is cradling a precious, priceless gift. 

There is no denying that is how he sees his daughter. There is no denying the love he has for her. 

Naruto feels out of place, watching the scene in front of her. She feels guilty, all of a sudden, for even being in the room.

She rises from her seat, excusing herself just as Sarada’s eyes begin to droop closed. Sasuke looks up at her sharply.

“Uh—” she begins, unsure of what to say or what to do with her arms. She settles for awkwardly gesturing towards the door. “I’ll be outside.”

She turns and leaves, but she doesn’t miss the way Sasuke’s expression shifts into one of disappointment. 

Meeting with the Village Council is, as always, an arduous task.

Naruto is seated on the far end of the table, flanked by Sasuke on her right and Shikamaru on the other. At the other end sit Koharu and Homura. They are well into their eighties now, but their gazes are still sharp and their words as stubborn as always.

Sasuke sits up straight but keeps his head down, his dark hair blocking most of his face from view. His hands are clasped together as the Elders begin their long, dawdling, roundabout way of getting to the point. They needle Naruto about the details on everything happening both inside and outside the Village. They ask about the trade deal with the Mizukage, about the recent unsuccessful mission to hunt down two rogue shinobi, about the Kazekage’s upcoming visit at the end of the month. 

Naruto answers each and every question in carefully measured tones, allowing Shikamaru to interject whenever he feels the need — even though the irritation prickling underneath her skin is too sharp to ignore.

The Elders act as if Sasuke isn’t even in the room, though he’s the entire reason why the meeting was called. They’re still smarting from the loss of Danzo, Naruto knows. He was like a brother to them, despite his cruelty and greed. And they’re still afraid Sasuke will remember their crimes against his family and decide _they_ deserve a similar fate, too.

Naruto insisted he didn’t have to attend the meeting. She promised Sasuke that she would guarantee permission for both him and Sarada to remain in the Village for however long they wanted. But he wouldn’t hear it. Naruto had opened her mouth to argue some more, but Shikamaru halted her with a hand on her elbow and a little shake of his head.

Finally, the Elders turn their attention to Sasuke. 

“So,” begins Homura. He’s staring down at the mission report which Shikamaru had slided over to him at the beginning of the meeting. There’s a deep frown on his face. “Uchiha Sasuke has returned to the Village. Along with his…daughter.”

“She requires urgent medical attention,” Naruto tells them, because the way Homura pronounced the word _daughter_ has made Sasuke finally look up, something dangerous flashing in his dark eyes. “Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sarada will be staying in the Village for as long as they need.”

Koharu scowls, unhappy with Naruto’s cold tone. “And if we disapprove?”

“You will keep your thoughts to yourself,” Naruto says at once. She pauses, before adding, “Just as you kept the truth of the Uchiha Clan downfall to yourself.”

Sasuke glances at her sharply. There’s something akin to surprise in his eyes. But Naruto keeps her gaze carefully ahead, looking straight at the Elders, who are watching her with open disdain now.

“Careful, girl,” Homura says coldly. “It’s not like you’ve been shouting that _truth_ from the rooftops yourself.”

Naruto clasps her hands together in her lap and squeezes them together tight, trying to recollect her thoughts. _Not out of loyalty to you,_ she thinks fiercely, and the memory of that moment is still so vivid in her mind: Uchiha Itachi, his dark gaze piercing as he coaxed the reluctant promise out of her before he died his final death.

She looks at Sasuke, but he’s staring at the wall blankly. The lines of his body are stiff with tension. 

When Naruto first told Sasuke about her decision not to reveal the truth of his Clan’s massacre, he didn’t visit her for almost an entire year. She’d pleaded with him, trying to explain that it was Itachi’s final wish and that she swore an oath. Even though he told her he understood, something in his eyes had gone cold and distant, as though he couldn't recognise the person talking to him. Those ten months without him were cold and dark and painful. When he eventually returned, he didn’t want to talk about it, and in the years since, they’ve learned to avoid the topic entirely. 

But Naruto often wonders if Sasuke still resents her for it. She stares at him now, willing him to turn and look at her, but he doesn’t. He’s still carefully avoiding her gaze, his chakra fluctuating unsteadily like a wild heartbeat. 

Thankfully, Shikamaru decides to interject. “The truth of the Uchiha Clan’s downfall was agreed to be kept a secret at the end of the War. That was the wisest decision.”

“But it’s not a truth that will be forgotten,” Naruto adds quickly. She’s not sure if she’s talking to the Elders or to Sasuke at this point.

“You are the Hokage,” Koharu says, as though speaking to an insolent child. “Your loyalty to the Village comes before your loyalty to the Uchiha, or any other shinobi with a traitorous past.”

“Traitorous?” Naruto repeats incredulously. “We wouldn’t have won the War without him. _You_ wouldn’t be sitting here without him. You two were locked up in a safe house while he was out there on the battlefield, fighting for your lives, even though you were more than happy to let his entire Clan be massacred by one of its own sons. Even now, he still protects this Village and the lives of all its citizens, carrying out missions beyond the Gates, but you won’t even—”

Under the table, Sasuke grabs her thigh from under the table and grips tight, making Naruto stop speaking suddenly. She manages to keep her gaze steady on the Elders in front of her, whose eyes have now gone wide from her words and the fierce crackle of her chakra.

In the years since she was named Hokage, Naruto has always dealt with the Council with a firm hand. They’re a foundational element of the Village, instrumental to its care. They’re as Konoha as the mountain with the Kage faces etched into it, as the deep green forests it was built within. But their crimes are too great for her to ever truly forgive. 

She takes a deep breath and tries again. “Uchiha Sasuke is a Konoha shinobi,” Naruto tells them. “He is loyal to this Village. And I…”

She glances at him, and this time, it’s to find he’s already watching her. There’s an unreadable look in his eyes that catches her off-guard, makes her forget what she was about to say next.

Before she can stop herself, Naruto reaches for Sasuke’s hand on her thigh. Their fingers are intertwined in a matter of seconds. 

_And I am loyal to him,_ she thinks. 

Shikamaru clears his throat. Naruto flushes as Sasuke’s lips quirk up in a hint of a smile. She's about to come up with something to say in the face of the Elder’s mounting impatience, but then her advisor speaks up.

“Uchiha Sasuke is loyal to the Village,” Shikamaru says calmly. “He’s had over a decade to prove that to us all. Whether or not he will even choose to stay in Konoha permanently is still undecided. For now, we ask you grant him permission to stay here as his daughter recovers from surgery.”

“Free health insurance for my kid,” Sasuke mutters under his breath. “This job is remarkable.”

Naruto bites down on a grin, amused by both his words and Shikamaru’s approach. Her advisor was careful to use the word _permission,_ deliberately holding it over the Elders’ heads because he knows how much they like having their egos stroked. 

Naruto has little interest in seeking their damn permission, but unlike Naruto, Shikamaru is always thinking several steps ahead. He knows that disrespecting the Elders now will have harmful consequences later on, with them attempting to block Naruto’s attempts to improve the Village infrastructure or change the Academy curriculum or sign a trade deal with the Mizukage out of sheer pettiness. 

It also helps that the Elders are fond of Shikamaru in their own way. He is a Nara, the head of one of Konoha’s oldest and most noble clans. And like a true Nara, he is calm, wise, and he doesn’t rock the boat. His presence, in their eyes, balances out the that of the Hokage: the hot-headed unruly Jinchuuriki who abides by nobody’s rules but her own.

Koharu raises an eyebrow, but she is pleased by Shikamaru’s choice of words. She looks at him when she asks Sasuke, “And you’ll continue to take missions while within the Village?”

Sasuke looks at Naruto when he answers. “As long as my Hokage needs me.”

Their hands are still intertwined, and Sasuke’s thumb is rubbing back and forth now, each gentle touch against her skin sending shivers down Naruto’s spine. There’s an undeniable heat in his gaze now, the kind that makes her stomach twist, and for a moment it feels as they're the only two people in the room.

Naruto fights back a blush as she remembers herself. She looks up quickly, admiring the various cracks in the ceiling, but she still can't bring herself to pull her hand away.

“We want a full medical examination of the child,” Koharu declares in the awkward silence that follows. “Including an examination of her Sharingan.”

“Of course,” Shikamaru answers at once.

Sasuke snarls, chakra flaring up like a campfire, but Naruto squeezes his hand tight. He looks at her sharply, and she gives a barely noticeable shake of her head. _Trust me._

She doesn’t want them going anywhere near Sarada either, but they have a goal to achieve. And Konoha’s ways are so old, so set in stone, that even she can’t change them all.

“Haruno Sakura will carry out the examination,” Naruto announces.

Shikamaru nods, picking up on the cue instantly. “She’s our best medic-nin, the envy of all other Villages. In fact, I recall the Kazekage — my brother-in-law -- saying his own Village has never produced such a prodigious healer.”

It’s a bold-faced lie: Gaara hasn’t spoken to or about Sakura since she saved his brother’s life. But the Elders puff up ever so slightly with pride and they nod amongst themselves, pleased.

“She _is_ a Konoha shinobi, after all,” Koharu says smugly. “Very well, then. Haruno Sakura will carry out the examination and give us a full report.”

Naruto resists the urge to scoff, but then Homura leans forward and places his chin on his clasped hands, his bottle-green eyes flashing dangerously.

“You have to understand,” he says in a low voice. “The Villagers will be feeling uncomfortable now that two members of the Uchiha clan are in their midst. We want them to know that history won’t…repeat itself.”

Naruto recognises his words for what it is: a challenge. For her to change the agreed-upon narrative of what exactly happened on that night when Sasuke became the last living Uchiha.

It takes all of her willpower to keep her chakra under control, even though she wants nothing more than to lash out at them, to end them and the unyielding hold they have on the Village — and, by extension, on her. 

But she doesn’t, because Sasuke is still holding her hand under the table, impossibly warm. She looks to him and finds he is already watching her. Despite the insult towards his Clan, the constant disrespect and dehumanisation he faces every time he is made to spend time with the Elders. Despite it all, he is looking at Naruto with such tenderness it makes her breath catch her in her throat.

In that moment, Naruto hates herself. For her weakness, her cowardice, and her hypocrisy. 

_I am loyal to him,_ she thinks almost desperately. But the Elders are still watching her, waiting for her response. And right now, she has a role to play.

Naruto grits her teeth and keeps her eyes down as she answers them. “It won’t.”

It’s only when they finally step outside that Naruto allows herself to relax. The three of them are huddled together outside the meeting room, watching the Elders slowly walk down the hallway back to their own offices. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” she mumbles, and Sasuke hums noncommittally. 

Shikamaru, however, glares at her. “Those old bats might be oblivious, but unfortunately _I’m_ not,” he snaps. “So next time, will you two please get a room?”

He storms off down the hallway, digging around in his pockets for a cigarette and muttering under his breath about troublesome Hokages and their even more troublesome love lives, and doesn’t Temari already make him sit through enough stupid romantic dramas at home…?

Sasuke maintains a carefully innocent expression, as though unaware of what just transpired and the role he played in it. It makes Naruto want to punch him — but she’s a Hokage now, and people are watching. So instead, she coughs under her breath, praying her flush isn’t too obvious, and quickly begins making her way back to her office. 

Sasuke, however, follows her. “He’s always been too perceptive for his own good,” he mutters as he walks by her side. “Making him your advisor was a smart move.”

“He knows how to play the game,” Naruto says with a shrug. “Much better than I do, anyway.”

Sasuke gives her a side-long glance, his eyebrows raised a little, but he says nothing. 

They make their way to Naruto’s office in silence. There are plenty of onlookers — chunin, jounin, secretaries and clerks — all of whom know by now not to respond too dramatically to the sight of their Hokage walking in their midst. However, their bewilderment and shock at seeing her accompanied by Uchiha Sasuke is obvious. A few of them begin to whisper among themselves. 

Sasuke, to his credit, acts as if he doesn’t hear them. One hand is still curled around his sword and his face is carefully blank, but his chakra is settled and steady. He stares at Naruto as she steps inside the office after him, closing the door behind them with a thoughtful frown. 

“We need to figure out some kind of plan,” she says, her mind racing. They’ve gained the reluctant support of the Council, but Naruto is still at a loss as to how best to accommodate Sasuke and his daughter in the Village. 

She heads over to the window, her favourite spot to think and agonise over the details of whatever decision she ends up making. The streets outside are bustling with activity, shinobi and civilians, old and young, men and women and children all engrossed in their own tasks.

“Konohagakure is the safest place for the child, if news of another living Uchiha spreads and any potential enemies begin to make their move…” she mutters to herself. “We should try and keep things under wraps for now, though. I need to sort out accommodation for the both of them, preferably somewhere close to the hospital for her physiotherapy lessons.” 

Naruto lets out a heavy sigh, so completely lost in her own thoughts she doesn’t notice Sasuke as he moves in to stand by her side. “Of course, I’ll have to make sure it’s Sakura who’s overseeing the child’s recovery. She’s the best, and it’s not like the bastard would trust anyone else with his daughter anyway…”

She almost chokes when Sasuke places a hand on her shoulder and says, calmly, “I’d appreciate that.”

He blinks at Naruto when she lets out a nervous gasp and takes a sharp step backwards, rubbing at the back of her neck. “Sorry, sorry! I got so carried away I forgot you were standing there.”

She feels self-conscious under the weight of his gaze in the silence that follows, and she finds herself scrambling for something to say. “I talk too much, I know. But it helps me think,” she laughs wryly. “Probably wasn’t the best decision to name the village idiot the Hokage, huh?”

Sasuke frowns at that. His hand grips her shoulder just a little bit tighter as he tells her, “You’re not an idiot. Stop putting yourself down.” 

She crosses her arms because she doesn’t know what else to do with them, not when he’s staring at her so intensely. “Come on,” Naruto says, rolling her eyes. “You call me a idiot all the time.”

He steps a little closer to her. “You’re the Hokage for a reason, Naruto. Don’t forget that.”

He says her name in a low murmur, and it feels like the previous night all over again: all she can think about is how close he’s standing, the warmth of his hand on her shoulder, practically seeping through her clothes and into her skin. She inhales and exhales slowly, breathing in his scent, drinking in the sight of him. 

And then she forces herself to take a careful step back even though it _hurts,_ wondering how many times she’ll have to do this, wondering why he won’t just make things easier for the both of them by just doing his part and letting her go. “Sasuke—”

But Sasuke moves in even closer, placing both hands on her shoulders this time. He moves in close, until there’s only a few inches separating them. He reaches up with a hand to play with a strand of her hair, gently rubbing it between two fingers.

The intimacy of it makes Naruto suddenly feel furious, and she slaps his hand away fiercely. “You need to stop — I don’t even know what that little stunt you pulled back in the meeting was—”

“Little _stunt?”_ Sasuke repeats in disbelief. “It’s not like you were complaining.” 

Naruto covers her face with her hands, her entire body shaking now. _Why are you doing this, why are you doing this to me now—_ “Can you just _stop?”_

“Stop what?” Sasuke asks angrily. “Talking to you? Looking at you? I _can’t.”_

He reaches for her, grabbing her wrists and tugging them down so they’re not covering her face anymore. His Sharingan is spinning furiously. “I can’t fucking change how I feel. And I know you feel the same way, Naruto, look at me—”

Naruto pulls out of his grasp and takes several unsteady steps away from him. Her heart is pounding in her chest as she glares at the floor, vision blurred with hot, angry tears. 

It shouldn’t be like this. She didn’t know it would be like this. But she does know, better than anyone, that Uchiha Sasuke is relentless. It’s one of the countless reasons she fell in love with him, after all.

Her shoulders are heaving and she’s still taking unsteady breaths, but she manages to choke out the words, “Why are you— you’re making this so difficult—” 

“What am I making difficult?” Sasuke demands. “I’m telling you the truth. I fought in the War for you. I haven’t stayed loyal to this fucking Village for anything or anyone but you. I chose _you.”_ He takes a shaky breath and runs a hand through his hair, hesitating before he adds, “And despite everything, despite all the times I made you think otherwise, I still do.”

Naruto feels as though she can’t breathe. There are countless things she wants to do in that moment. She wants to ask him why he’s telling her all this _now._ He’s taking one careful step after another towards her and she wants to surrender, wants to walk into his arms and give in to his will. 

But instead, she chooses to push the dagger in where it will hurt the most. 

“Until you decide to leave me again,” Naruto whispers.

Sasuke’s eyes widen. He freezes before he takes a step back away from her, looking hurt. Naruto hates herself for putting that expression on his face, but all she can think about is the fact that he didn’t deny her words. 

_I can’t keep doing this,_ she thinks, feeling exhausted. _We can’t keep doing this to each other._

A heavy silence settles between them. Sasuke is still staring at Naruto, but she’s carefully looking at the floor, at the way the wood has become patterned with age. 

“You should go to your daughter,” Naruto reminds him eventually, looking up and meeting his gaze. “You said you’d be there when she woke up. That could be any minute now.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrow. His chakra is slowly pulsating, each deep thrum echoing throughout the room. 

“My daughter,” he repeats. There’s a look of heavy disappointment on his face, the same way he’d looked at her as she rushed out of Sarada’s hospital room — but this time, it’s far more severe. “Of course.” 

Naruto clasps her hands together and tries her best to keep her voice steady. “I’ll come by when I’ve found somewhere for you to both to stay.”

Sasuke nods, his expression carefully blank. He watches her for another long moment before he dips his head slightly. “Hokage-sama,” he says, before he turns and walks calmly out of the room. 

Naruto makes her way over to her desk, feeling oddly numb. There are stacks and stacks of paperwork to be done, so much work to do and so many tasks to complete. She is the Hokage, after all, and she has an entire Village to run. 

She settles in her seat and reaches for a pen before she realises her hand is shaking. She covers her face with her hands and begins to cry.

Shikamaru finds her like that half an hour later. He gently kicks the office door open with his foot, carrying two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. 

“Well, well, well,” he says, voice teasing. “If it isn’t the Seventh Hokage doing her paperwork without anyone telling her — oi, Naruto?”

Naruto’s face is mostly still covered with her hands to stop the tears from falling onto the paper, but her shoulders are trembling from how hard she’s sobbing. She hasn’t cried this hard in years. Her mess of a conversation with Sasuke has been playing on a loop in her mind for the past thirty minutes, and she feels sick to her stomach, angry and miserable and ashamed. 

Shikamaru makes his way over to her desk and kneels down next to her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. She know she must look a complete mess: snot running down her nose, her blotchy and red and streaked with tears, but he smiles at her fondly regardless.

“What’s the matter, kid?” he asks. He searches around in his pocket for a moment before handing her a tissue, which she accepts with a watery smile.

“You’re only a month older than me,” she reminds him softly, and he shrugs. Naruto leans back in her chair and lets out a groan, lamenting the never-ending catastrophe that is her life. “This is bad, Shika. This is so _fucking bad.”_

Shikamaru straightens up, placing a gentle hand on her head. He doesn’t need an explanation — he knows exactly what’s going on. She’s grateful for his his patience, his understanding, and his presence by her side, today and every day.

He’s quiet for a long time before he finally speaks. “That table’s still booked for Friday, you know.”

She shoves him away with a wet laugh, and he settles down opposite her to help finish up the rest of her paperwork.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [[Those of you who were around on the weekend and witnessed my shameless, hardcore smut posting episode...forgive me. I don't know what the hell got into me other than exam season frying my brain cells and destroying my sense of shame. I deleted that story because 1) I got my shit together and 2) I felt like the smut and the atmosphere was too good to be wasted on a PWP. It'll be back eventually, possibly, in the form of a proper story. I'm not sure if it'll be also be femnarusasu, though. Let me know what you guys prefer.]]
> 
> Anyway, I'm back with Chapter 4 of rushes! I really really hope you guys enjoy this one.

Naruto remains holed up in her office for the rest of the morning. She has a headache from crying so hard and is in constant danger of getting snot all over herself no matter how many tissues she keeps at hand. Still, she attends to all of her tasks and finishes her paperwork at such a breakneck speed that even Shikamaru looks impressed. 

“Who knew heartbreak could inspire such motivation?” he remarks.

Naruto waves her snotty tissue at him threateningly. "Shut up.”

Shikamaru scoffs, dropping off a small pastry on her desk before heading over to the window. He props it open with one hand, peering down into the streets below as the other hand fumbles around his pocket for a cigarette. He slips it between his lips and lights it up, but not before he turns to glare at Naruto accusingly.

“Don’t tell Temari, you hear,” he warns.

“It’s not like she won’t be able to smell it on you,” Naruto sighs, a small smile playing on her lips. She can already picture the mournful look on Shikamaru’s face when his wife inevitably finds out and confiscates his cigarette pack as punishment.

Shikamaru puffs on his cigarette with a world-weary expression. Naruto’s smile softens at the sight of him. He’s tall and lanky even now, slouched over like a teenager, the only sign he’s aged since the Chuunin Exams being the slight stubble on his chin. 

“We have to work on a statement, you know,” he says suddenly. He turns his head to give her a knowing look.

Naruto glares down at her diary. “I know.”

“We should get started on it now, since you’re free,” Shikamaru mutters, scratching at his chin thoughtfully. “The Council approved our request, but we don’t know how the rest of the Village will react.”

It’s a good point. Naruto may have gotten the Elders to bow to her will, but there’s still no telling how the common folk will respond to the sudden news of _two_ Uchiha in their midst — one of whom had previously been a wanted, highly dangerous rogue shinobi. 

“Guess we’ll find out,” she says with a shrug, hoping her voice doesn’t betray how terrified she feels.

They’re interrupted ten minutes later by the arrival of an excitable jounin: a short young man with brown hair that’s been brushed so intensely it’s practically gleaming. He marches into the room and gives a deep bow, fists clenched together by his side.

“Hokage-sama!” he exclaims as soon as he’s straightened up. “My name is Aki, and I work on the fourth floor in the housing department.” He places a hand on his chest and, batting his eyelashes a little, adds, “It is an honour to be here, in your presence, in this moment.”

Naruto bites back a laugh, but it’s difficult when even Shikamaru looks so amused. “Thanks for being here, Aki,” she says. “What is it?”

“Well, we got the lodgings together, as you said. For the Uchiha, I mean. However…” 

Naruto cocks her head to the side. “However?” she prompts. 

Aki huffs, looking scandalised by what he’s about to say next. “He — he refused to accept them as satisfactory! Hokage-sama, I am _so_ shocked—"

“But why?” Naruto asks, feeling concerned. The way the jounin has phrased it makes it sound like Sasuke disapproved of the quality of the apartment. But Sasuke has never been one to complain. “Is it too small or dirty?”

“Oh, _no,_ Hokage-sama,” the man insists, his brown eyes wide at the suggestion. “The apartment is of _excellent_ quality, plenty of natural light, wide spacious kitchen, fully furbished and in a very good area — perfect for families, you know. It took me days to be able to find it, even as a representative of your administration.”

Naruto opens her mouth to demand what the issue is (and the childish part of her is already beginning to wonder if it’s just Sasuke’s petty way of trying to get back at her), but Shikamaru beats her to it. 

“ _Where_ is this apartment, Aki?” he asks.

The jounin straightens up, beaming as he answers. “Hana Street.” 

Shikamaru’s jaw drops open, his cigarette almost tumbling to the floor. _“Hana Street?”_

Naruto stares at the jounin. “That’s literally the _other side_ of the Village,” she says. 

When the jounin looks at her uncomprehendingly, she takes a deep breath and tries again, forcing herself to keep her anger at bay. “The man’s daughter has broken both of her legs,” she says. “She’s in need of extensive physiotherapy, possibly even more surgery. And the only place you managed to find for them is a forty-five minute walk away?”

“Naruto,” Shikamaru says sharply as she begins to raise her voice.

Naruto ignores him and throws her hands up angrily. “Are you _kidding_ me?”

“I’m sorry!” the young man squeaks. “I just — I didn’t know about her injuries, ma’am, or maybe I did — I forgot—"

 _“Naruto,”_ Shikamaru says again, nodding at the jounin to calm down. He fixes her with a stern glare. 

Naruto sighs. “It’s fine,” she mutters to the jounin. “Sorry for yelling at you.”

Aki bites his bottom lip anxiously. He hesitates a moment before bowing. “ _I_ am so sorry, Hokage-sama. You have every right to be angry with me. I disappointed you. I failed you—"

“So what else did Sasuke say?” Naruto interrupts.

“Well,” Aki says, flushing. “He called me a moron and a j-jumped-up little fool. He said some other things, too, but he was whispering because his daughter was asleep, so I didn't really hear him. I told him there was nothing I could do about it, so he told me he’d stay in the hospital until she was discharged. And then he told me to f-fu-leave.”

Naruto stares at Shikamaru, her eyes wide. “Is he insane?”

“That’s what _I_ was thinking!” Aki says triumphantly. He flushes when Naruto and Shikamaru turn to look at him. “Um, if that’s all, Hokage-sama—

“Go,” Naruto says. “And please, in the meantime, try and find somewhere much closer to the hospital for them to stay. We’ll take it from here.”

Aki excuses himself with a flurry of bows and too-big smiles. As soon as the door shuts behind him, Naruto slumps in her seat. 

“What the _fuck_ are we going to do now?” she says helplessly.

Shikamaru sighs, making his way over to her desk. He pulls up a chair opposite her. “Hana Street is pretty fancy. Most people would jump at the chance to stay there.”

 _“Forty-five_ minutes, though,” Naruto reminds him, rubbing at her forehead now that her headache has returned with a vengeance. “We can’t do that to them.”

“We can’t,” Shikamaru agrees. “But what _can_ we do? We’re already dealing with a minor housing crisis. Finding a furnished place on such short notice was practically a miracle. It might take days, maybe even weeks before we can find somewhere more suitable for them to stay.”

Naruto frowns. “What about a hotel?”

“You think _any_ hotel’s going to let two Uchiha stay in their building? What kind of message does that send to tourists?” Shikamaru asks, looking amused.

“I could make them,” Naruto scowls. “Being Hokage and all, I should be able to pull a few strings.”

Shikamaru taps his chin, staring at her thoughtfully. He’s quiet for a long moment before he speaks. “Well, I guess they could stay with you.”

Naruto gapes at him. _“What?”_

“You live, what, less than a minute away from the hospital?” Shikamaru says, looking increasingly convinced by the second. “Your apartment is huge. It has plenty of space for all three of you. And they’ll feel safe there.”

“My apartment,” Naruto repeats, wondering if the cigarette smoke has gotten to him and he’s finally lost his mind. “My _apartment.”_

“You’re barely ever there,” Shikamaru accuses. “When was the last time you went back? Tuesday?”

“Wednesday,” she corrects, only half-heartedly. “And I don’t need to go back. I eat and shower here. I have blankets in the cupboard.”

Shikamaru stares at Naruto, expression twisting into a mixture of horror and disgust. But then he shakes his head and resumes his original argument. “Anyway. People might be more comfortable knowing they’re staying with you.” He snaps his fingers, looking rather pleased. “We can add it to our statement: the Uchihas will remain under the supervision of the Hokage and under her watchful gaze for the duration of their stay…or whatever.”

She frowns, not liking the way that sounds — as though Sasuke is a dog to be muzzled and tamed. “That's—”

“I know,” Shikamaru says at once, reading her mind. “But maybe that’s what it’ll take. This thing is a process, Naruto.” He puffs on his cigarette serenely. “Think about it. We can kill two birds with one stone.”

“I’ve never liked that phrase,” Naruto snaps. “Birds are lovely creatures. Very wholesome and innocent.”

“Nothing like you, then,” Shikamaru retorts. 

She lets out a small chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. She can’t wrap her head around the idea of living with Sasuke and his daughter, even if she’s never really at home herself. 

But she hates the idea of Sasuke holed up in the hospital, sleeping in rickety old chairs for days while he waits for his daughter to be discharged. She can’t stand the idea of the two of them making their way to the hospital on a journey of over two hours every single day just to attend her physiotherapy lessons. She promised Sasuke he would always have a home in Konohagakure. Not a house, not the bare minimum, but a _home._

“It’s fucked up between us now,” Naruto hears herself say, sounding less like a Hokage and more like a 27-year-old with a terrible love life. “It’ll be so _awkward,_ Shika.” 

Shikamaru puts out his cigarette, brow furrowed. 

“Naruto,” he says seriously. “Despite what happened between you two this morning — and despite the entire shitshow of the past few days, do you really think you’ll ever stop being friends with Sasuke?”

“No,” she says at once.

“Well, then,” Shikamaru says, looking like it’s all rather simple. “Who knows? This might even help you guys get back on track.”

“Back on track,” Naruto repeats with a scoff. “Whatever _that_ means.”

Shikamaru stretches, wincing at the sound of his joints cracking (and how someone so lazy can be such a brilliant shinobi, Naruto still doesn’t know). “You should go and tell him the good news.” He pauses a beat before adding, “You know, before he asks to borrow one of your closet blankets.”

Naruto throws her snotty tissue at him.

Naruto hesitates outside the hospital room for a full minute before she works up the courage to step inside. Sarada is fast asleep, and Sasuke is sitting by her side, perched on the edge of his seat. He’s staring at his daughter intently, both of her hands wrapped around one of his own. He doesn’t look up when Naruto walks into the room.

Naruto pauses by the door. “Has she woken up yet?” she asks.

Sasuke nods, still not looking at her. 

She takes another step inside, closing the door behind her. “How is she feeling?”

“She’s in pain,” Sasuke says after a while. “But she’s too stubborn to admit it.” He glances at Naruto as though he wants to say something else, but decides against it. His fingers toy with the edge of Sarada’s blanket.

“She’s going to get better,” Naruto promises him. “Sakura said she doesn’t need any more surgery. She can start physiotherapy as soon as she’s healed.”

Sasuke doesn't look relieved. He returns his gaze to his daughter, face completely expressionless. “What is it?”

Naruto swallows, wondering how best to break the news. “About…the place they found for you guys to stay.”

“I already told that little—"

“I _know_ it’s not suitable,” Naruto interrupts. “But it’s the only place they could find on such short notice. I’m sorry about that. We’re working on getting a place closer to the hospital.”

Sasuke leans back in his chair, eyeing her warily. “Right.”

“But…” she says. “That might take up to a few weeks. So, until then, I — I want you guys to stay with me.” She picks at the skin around her fingernails, ducking her head, and begins rattling off the same justifications Shikamaru had supplied her. “It sounds crazy, I know. But my apartment is less than a minute away. It has plenty of room for the both of you. It’s safe, and you’ll feel comfortable there despite everything—” 

“Naruto,” Sasuke interrupts her suddenly. “Thank you.”

“You’ll stay with me?” she asks, stunned.

He shrugs, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his legs. He looks tired, scruffier than she's ever seen him. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to stay once she gets discharged. And I bet Shikamaru thinks it’ll be useful at swaying the public.”

Naruto flushes, wondering a little stupidly if he’d bugged her office somehow. “Well,” she says. She’s surprised by how quickly he agreed, and now is at a loss for words. “So. Uh…do you want to — do you want me to show you the place? You could shower, eat, whatever.” 

Sasuke is quiet for a long moment. “Sarada gets discharged in a few days. Sakura told me so.”

“Yeah,” says Naruto. "I heard that, too. So..."

"So," Sasuke says mildly, “I’ll just wait here until then.”

Naruto sighs, taking a step closer to him. “Come on, Sasuke. This is no place to stay.”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “I’ve experienced far less glamorous conditions, believe me.”

“Come on, Sasuke,” Naruto says again, trying to get him to reconsider. “I know you don’t want to leave her, not even for a moment. But you have to get some rest and — get yourself together.” She glances at Sarada, who looks dwarfed by the huge hospital bed. “It’ll be good for you, and it’ll be good for her to see you settled. It’ll make her more comfortable.”

Sasuke follows her gaze, watching his daughter carefully. He reaches out to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind an ear, lips curving up in a smile when she huffs in her sleep and turns her head away. Naruto holds her breath, waiting, hoping. 

And then Sasuke nods. “Okay.”

Sasuke follows Naruto back to her apartment shortly afterwards, when a nurse explains that Sarada is still on very strong medication and might slip in and out of a deep sleep for the rest of the day. She leads him through the streets, gesturing towards her building with a wave of her hand. "Well, this is it."

“Three apartments,” Sasuke points out with a frown. “Do other people live in this building?”

Naruto shakes her head. “Nope. Just me,” she says. “The Third lived here with his sister, his daughter, son-in-law and his grandson, so they used up all the space. But Kakashi-sensei lived here alone, and so did Tsunade-sama. But she had her weird little pig, so…”

Sasuke hums, looking thoughtful. He follows her up the stairs and waits patiently as she fumbles with the keys, staring out into the distance. “Nice view,” he says.

Naruto smiles, still struggling with her keys — it’s always such a hassle trying to remember which one actually belongs to the door. “Absolutely. I've probably spent hours staring out of the window, just taking it all in. It never gets old.”

She manages to unlock the door eventually, kicking the door open and leading him inside. The best way to behave, it seems they’ve both decided, is as though nothing has happened. _Just two old friends sharing an apartment._

Sasuke looks around, staring in mild surprise as he takes in the spacious living room, the spotless kitchen, the tasteful and subtle decor. Naruto takes off her shoes and places them next to his. She can’t help but feel awkward now they’re alone together in her home.

“When did you get so neat and tidy?” Sasuke says eventually. 

“Some people come and clean this place every week,” Naruto replies, feeling a little embarrassed. “I - I don’t actually stay here that much.”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Then where do you stay?”

Naruto blinks at him. “My office.” When he continues staring, she adds, “The Tower has pretty nice bathrooms, you know. With shower stalls and everything. And people bring me meals when I forget to eat.”

Sasuke’s lips twitch, and it makes Naruto duck her head with a blush. 

“I grew up in a tiny little dump,” she says, fiddling with a few of the cushions on the couch. “It still feels weird having so much space to myself.” She looks up at him with a smile, “It’ll be good for you guys, though.”

Naruto gives Sasuke a quick tour of the place, showing him each of the rooms and the kitchen. He’s silent the entire time, his expression never giving anything away other than mild curiosity. She leads him inside the largest bedroom and gestures around.

“Sarada can take this room," she announces. "When Sasuke looks at her curiously, she quickly adds, “ _Or_ you guys can swap. It’s up to you. I just thought — I thought she might like this room since it has a good view of the Village, and she’s never been here before. She might like to…you know.”

Sasuke stares at her for a long moment, looking as though he wants to say something, before he clears his throat and simply nods. “I agree.”

Naruto taps a side of the wardrobe, feeling awkward under the intensity of his gaze. “Should be enough space, I think. If it’s not, just let me know. I can move things around—”

“It’s more than enough, Naruto,” Sasuke says, and the way he says her name makes her look up sharply. He hesitates before taking a step closer to her, hand gripping the hilt of his sword tight. “This is more than enough. Thank you.”

Naruto smiles. She can’t help it, not when Sasuke is looking at her like that and saying things like _thank you._ “It’s fine,” she tells him. “Really, Sasuke. It’s not a big deal.”

They stand there like that for a long moment, staring at each other in silence, until Naruto remembers herself. She clears her throat and turns away, ignoring the funny feeling in her stomach. “So,” she says. “You hungry?”

“I want to get her stuff,” Sasuke says as he bites into his sandwich. He’s showered, shaved, and put on some of the new clothes Naruto provided him with. His hair is longer than usual now, and it falls around his face. 

Naruto takes a sip of her orange juice. “What?”

“Sarada,” Sasuke explains. “She asked me to bring her things and I told her I would. Remember?”

“I remember,” she replies, feeling bewildered as she recalls their conversation in the hospital room. “You…were serious?”

Sasuke simply sighs, glaring a little at his sandwich. It’s a sad-looking thing containing cheese and salad — the only ingredients Naruto had in her refrigerator. Still, she can tell it’s not the pathetic excuse of a meal that’s bothering him. 

“We’ve been staying at a small house for the past seven months,” he tells her. “It’s in a civilian village in the Land of Earth. Typically we don’t spend more than a few weeks at a single place, but Sarada…lately…” He shakes his head, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “It was enough time for her to gather some things. Little bits and pieces, you know. It means a lot to her, so I try not to fuss about it too much. Even if we get complaints from the landlady.”

“The _mad_ lady,” Naruto corrects with a smile. She glances at Sasuke and sees his own lips are twitching in a smile. “She’s funny, your kid. Wonder where she gets it from.”

Sasuke’s smile falters. “I wonder, too.”

His gaze drifts over to the wall, his expression carefully blank. Something cold settles in the pit of Naruto’s stomach as she watches him, her mind scrambling for something to say.

What she ends up saying surprises them both. “Tell me about her,” Naruto says. “Sarada’s mother.”

Sasuke is quiet for so long that Naruto thinks he won’t respond at all. Or, even worse, that he’ll get up and walk out of the apartment in anger. It takes him a while, but he eventually he answers her. 

“Her name was Rina,” he says. “She was a civilian from a village called Nishi. She lived with her grandmother because her parents died when she was younger and she didn’t have anyone else.” He pauses, running a finger up the side of his glass slowly. “I met her not long after I left Konoha. After around three months, maybe.”

Naruto watches him, trying to gauge his mood. Her heart is pounding in her chest. The apartment feels too small, all of a sudden. “And?”

Sasuke doesn’t look at her. “I was still so angry after the War ended. I was angry about everything. I got restless, and then I got reckless. I started picking fights with people as I travelled. Criminals, bandits — anyone I thought deserved a beating, really. One night, I found myself in Nishi. I drank too much and got ahead of myself. I was a mess. Rina took me in and patched me up, even though her grandmother told her not to. The old lady took one look at me and knew I was trouble.” He studies his glass of water. “But Rina was training to be a nurse.”

Naruto takes a shaky breath. “And then what?” she says. “You fell in love with her?”

Sasuke stares at her, a small frown on his face. “Is that what you want me to say, Naruto?”

“I’m not—”

“I didn’t love her,” Sasuke interrupts. “And she didn’t love me. We didn’t spend nearly enough time together for that. I was there for a few days at most. But she was kind to me. She didn’t give a shit who I was or where I’d come from. And when I left, she didn’t try to stop me.”

Naruto bites at her bottom lip. She wants to say something — _anything_ — but Sasuke doesn’t look like he’s finished speaking just yet. His words come out careful and measured, as though he’s been mulling over them for a long time. But there’s an intensity in his gaze and a sense of urgency to his voice, too, as though he’s willing her to understand.

“It was a wake-up call, in a way,” he continues. “And it made me think about it a lot.” When Naruto looks at him questioningly, he explains, “Love. What it was. And if I was ever capable of it.”

Outside, a bird squawks so loudly it almost makes Naruto jump in her seat. Sasuke pays it no mind, however. “I was sending you letters and reports, and visiting you when I could," he says. "And all the while I was trying to make sense of things. I was trying to understand. I kept thinking about — about you and I, and the way it’s always been between us." He takes a deep breath. "What it meant.” 

_So it wasn’t just me,_ Naruto thinks to herself numbly. 

“It made me wonder if…” Sasuke trails off, a small flush creeping up his neck. For the first time since he started speaking, he looks uncomfortable. “You know,” he finishes with a shrug.

Naruto ducks her head and stares at her lap, picking at the skin around her fingernails. “Yeah.”

Sasuke takes a gulp of his water. “And then,” he concludes, “I stopped wondering.”

Naruto stares at him. She can’t stop herself from asking the question. “Why?” 

This time, Sasuke looks away. He gazes at a spot on the wall, frowning to himself, looking at a loss for words.

“I did terrible things,” he tells her eventually. “And even when I made the decision to change, for the longest time I didn’t think I deserved anything. Even the things I wanted most.” He glances at Naruto briefly. “By the time I started feeling differently, it was too late.”

“What do you mean?” asks Naruto. _Why? How could it possibly have been too late?_

“Somehow, I found myself back in Nishi two years after I’d left,” says Sasuke. “And I found out Rina had passed away. Some kind of disease. It killed a hundred of the villagers, and her grandmother was going the same way, but — before she died she—” He stops himself, shaking his head in disbelief. “She showed me a baby girl, no older than eleven months. She could walk, and she could already say some things. She was healthy. And she looked just like me, even back then. It was like looking into a mirror.”

“Sarada,” Naruto breathes.

Sasuke takes another sip of his water. “I became a father,” he tells her. “And then I couldn’t put myself first anymore.”

Naruto rises from her seat. She heads over to the kitchen and stares out of the window, feeling overwhelmed by her own feelings. Her heart is beating so loud she can barely hear herself. “So you knew you didn’t want anything with me,” she says shakily. “You knew it wasn't going to - then why did you— why didn’t you _stop?”_

She hears Sasuke turn in his seat. “Naruto—”

“Why did you keep doing that to me?” she demands, unable to phrase her words properly. “All those times you made me think that — _why?”_

She hears Sasuke get up from the table and make his way over to her. But she doesn’t turn to face him, not even when he reaches for her wrist. She stares resolutely out of the window, ignoring the feel of his hand on her skin. 

“All those nights in your office,” Sasuke says, sounding almost desperate. “It was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. I’d sit down, and you’d sit close to me. I’d look up and find you already watching me.”

“So it’s my fault?” Naruto demands, turning around to look at him now. 

Sasuke’s grip on her wrist tightens, just a bit. “ _No._ But it made me feel —” He shakes his head, looking frustrated. “It felt like a promise. A possibility. And before I could stop myself I’d start wondering again. I’d think, maybe…”

He trails off, staring out of the window now. “And then I’d remember myself. I’d think of Sarada. I’d tell myself there was some things even you wouldn’t be able to move past. I’d think, her patience has to end somewhere, right?”

His grip on Naruto’s wrist has loosened enough for her to pull her hand back. She crosses her arms over her chest and looks at the floor. Eventually, she manages to speak, the words feeling like acid in her throat. 

“You’ll always be welcome here, Sasuke,” she says quietly. “Both you and your daughter. And we'll…we’ll always be friends.”

Sasuke sighs. He takes a step back from her, looking exhausted. But he nods, and his voice is steady when he speaks. “Right.”

Naruto waits a moment longer before she steps past him and heads over to the door. He follows her, and they put their shoes on in silence before leaving the apartment. The walk back to the hospital only lasts a minute, but when they arrive, Sarada is awake and waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I always love hearing what you guys have to say, so please do let me know what you think. xx


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